A Sannin Level Battle
by fieryfalcon
Summary: Naruto and Sakura go from mere apprentices to the next generation of Sannin as they prepare to defend their beloved village from all manner of deadly foes. [fairly graphic violence, SakuNaru]
1. Jiraiya vs Naruto

"Stupid ero-sennin," Naruto grumbled as he wiped sweat out of his eyes. His on again, off again teacher had disappeared after giving Naruto a complicated regimen of chakra control techniques to practice on. Over the years Naruto's control had slowly developed to the point where he now felt like he could control his power as well as the aging Sannin master himself, though Jiraiya would never admit it. Indeed, from what Naruto could tell these new exercises mainly burned through chakra rather than refining his ability to channel it.

Not that he had run out of chakra in a long time. Even without the aid of his demonic prisoner Naruto's natural reserves had increased under the influence of heavy training and years of desperate combat. It had been a matter of getting strong or dying and Naruto was still very much alive. Naruto's intuition, honed by his ninja talents, flickered for a second as someone approached in a manner they probably considered stealthy.

"Oi! Ero-sennin! Are you done peeping yet? When are we going back to Konoha?" Naruto asked without turning his head or interrupting his concentration on the training technique he was currently engaged in. He appreciated the need to train away from the village from time to time, especially as such journeys dovetailed nicely with the need to conduct espionage against their myriad of enemies, but he was really starting to miss the many individuals he considered precious.

Two man sized frogs wielding long weapons that resembled swords with sickles on the end leaped out of the underbrush from opposite sides and attacked Naruto at the same time. Naruto deflected the blades with the metal strips that covered his forearms. He had taken to wearing the vertical strips of sharpened steel for just such an occasion. Having little talent in advanced weapons beyond standard issue kunai and shuriken, which could handle a sword in a pinch, but were decidedly inferior toward the purpose than simply using his arms. He had also made sure that he could channel chakra into the narrow blades since any weapon that allowed the user to do the same would still cut through metal that wasn't chakra reinforced. Naruto was in no mood to lose an arm even if he suspected his prisoner might be able to regenerate it.

"Hey, Ero-sennin, if you wanted to spar you could've just asked," Naruto said cheerfully as he continued to dodge and parry blows. Jiraiya burst out of the thick forest growth only a few dozen paces away from him atop on of his characteristic frogs.

"This isn't a spar Naruto," Jiraiya said coolly. His frog opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of bullet like attacks with its long tongue. The heavy metal balls embedded in the tongue ensured that a hit would be like getting punched with a superhumanly strong metal fist. "You've learned everything you can from me. Now my stupid apprentice, you will either pass my final test by defeating me or die trying."

"You'd really kill me?" Naruto asked as he formed a seal and slammed an open palm under the defense of one of the melee frogs. He rolled through the puff of smoke that the defeated creature left behind and inhaled deeply, molding chakra all the while.

"Of course," Jiraiya roared as he too formed seals and inhaled, "Now die!"

Naruto pushed in on his chest and spat out a rapid series of sticky mud balls as he ran to the side toward the other melee frog. Jiraiya had expected them to come at him, but instead they plastered the hapless frog to the ground. Jiraiya, who had been tracking Naruto, wasn't quick enough to stop his attack of searing flame. The other frog disappeared in a burst of smoke just like the other one. The smoke hadn't even begun to disperse before more balls of muck rained down around Jiraiya and incapacitated his mount.

Jiraiya bit his thumb to get some needed blood for a new summon. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu," he yelled, his palm slamming down onto the ground. There was a massive burst of white smoke that parted to reveal Jiraiya atop the legendary Gamabunta, Lord of all Frogs.

"No fair Ero-sennin," Naruto whined from his perch atop one of the surrounding forest's many trees. No matter how hard he tried he was still having trouble coming at his long time friend seriously. "You know I can't summon a frog to help me now because none of them will fight against the Frog Boss."

"Yeah, and you're several decades younger then me, life isn't fair," Jiraiya muttered, slightly angry with himself for not coming at Naruto as hard as he could. The kid had even started to exaggerate his old personality and now Jiraiya couldn't help but start to feel nostalgic.

"Besides," Jiraiya yelled, "I gave you a chance to summon him in the beginning didn't I?"

"Jiraiya!" Gamabunta rumbled irritably as he puffed on his pipe. "Why did you bring me here just to spar with that loud kid?"

"This isn't a spar Bunta-sama," Jiraiya explained. "Naruto is our target for elimination."

"Oh?" Gamabunta replied curiously. "Is it already time for that? He's just as interesting as he was all those years ago…"

"Crap," Naruto thought to himself as he surveyed the scene in front of him. Even Jiraiya would be hard pressed to fight against Gamabunta were the situation reversed. He formed a series of hand seals.

"No time to reminisce right now," Jiraiya said urgently.

"Don't tell me my business," Gamabunta grumbled as he leaped into the air. The trees around him whipped violently in the sudden windstorm the giant frog's movements caused. The spot that he had just vacated was already swirling under the influence of an earth technique. A moment longer and Jiraiya's big friend might have been in serious trouble.

"I need water and oil," Jiraiya said as they reached the apex of their jump. Below them Jiraiya could feel Naruto preparing his next move.

Naruto knew he was in trouble when Gamabunta swelled up sharply and began spraying a fluid that he assumed was oil. However, as soon as the concoction was ignited Naruto realized his mistake. A giant cloud of super heated steam billowed down on the forest boiling alive everything in its path. Naruto's eyes widened slightly as his hands flew through a series of seals before the oncoming cloud rushed over him and obscured everything from view.

"He's still alive," Gamabunta said. The ground shook from the force of his return to the earth.

"Of course he is," Jiraiya said, scandalized at the notion that any student of his could die so easily. "Are you underestimating me?"

"I'm not sure that's possible," Gamabunta replied sarcastically.

"There, tongue," Jiraiya commanded, pointing at a suspicious shape he could distinguish against the rest of the ruined landscape. There was a crash of rock being ground down to gravel by the power of Gamabunta's attack. Chakra seemed to erupt from everywhere around them.

"Bunta-sama," Jiraiya yelled. He _kicked_ the Frog Boss's head in the direction he wanted to go.

"You must have a death wish Jiraiya!" Gamabunta said dangerously, but his ire vanished when he saw the sharp earthen spikes that had erupted from the ground all around the position he had vacated. If Jiraiya hadn't spurred him to motion when he did Gamabunta would have been skewered from all sides by the technique.

Gamabunta let out a painful sounding 'oomph' as a fist of chakra enhanced air slammed into his side unexpectedly. He leapt away, but another tendril of air, molded heavily with chakra, snagged one webbed hind leg and sent him sprawling. Jiraiya glanced around, but the air was still heavy with fog from his earlier attack.

"Enough," he declared. Jiraiya slammed his hands together and used his chakra to manifest a mighty gust of wind that blew the battlefield clear.

"You know why I didn't even try to summon Gamabunta?" Naruto asked as his position was uncovered by Jiraiya's technique. "In a situation like this…he's just a big target!"

"Hey, take that back-" Gamabunta was cut off in mid-complaint as the earth erupted around him in scaly stone colored coils. Naruto's long snake-like earth dragon nearly wrapped itself around Gamabunta before he leapt away again. However, the danger posed by Naruto's technique didn't end there. The dragon opened its mouth and spat out large dagger like shards of stone. Gamabunta tried to leap high into the air, but there were too many projectiles preventing him. He realized that if he were to jump his movements would become too predictable and Naruto's attacks would be able to strike him.

Unfortunately, staying close to the ground proved to have its own set of perils. The coils of earth dragon seemed to sprout out of the ground limitlessly as the chakra created monster tried to wrap itself around the Frog Boss.

"Gotcha," Naruto said, his hands moving rapidly again. As the coils of the dragon settled down on the Frog Boss he unleashed his earlier technique again. Jiraiya tried to save his summon and even managed to shatter the earth dragon, but it was already too late. Gamabunta grunted as several earthen spikes penetrated his thick hide.

"Jiraiya," Gamabunta said thickly, "You'd better prepare yourself for the next time we meet even if this was for a good cause."

Jiraiya knew that Gamabunta would be angry with him while now and sighed as the injured frog disappeared in cloud of smoke. Still, he had accomplished his purpose of forcing Naruto to use up a great deal of chakra with three big ticket ninjutsu moves.

Still, he too had suffered from chakra loss, not only from the initial summoning of Gamabunta, but also from the substantial chakra it had taken to destroy Naruto's earth dragon during Jiraiya's failed attempt to keep his summon in the battle. Jiraiya's hair lengthened and hardened into a cocoon around his body as his ninja intuition saved him from a surprise attack from behind. Explosive tags attached to the kunai still sent Jiraiya flying though, even as his technique saved him from injury. He couldn't help it now. If he wanted this to work he was absolutely going to have to get serious.

Naruto glanced around, surprised that his tags hadn't managed to do more than they had against Jiraiya's defense. He knew how to use his hair in such a manner too, but he wasn't confident of his ability to repel a dozen of the most powerful explosive tags with just that technique alone. Now the perverted Sannin was no where in sight and Naruto was beginning to get apprehensive that some kind of innovative attack was being prepared for him.

The earth shattered beneath his feet and Jiraiya sprung out of the ground in a mess of swirling white hair. The strands were razor sharp and even as quickly as Naruto responded he could still feel some warm wet liquid dripping down his face from a scalp injury. Jiraiya thrust forward with two chakra charged fingers that would have plunged through Naruto's heart had he not twisted away at the last moment and thrown up a hasty defensive screen of taijutsu moves.

"No finesse," Jiraiya breathed as he redoubled his onslaught. "No reprieve, but you'd better not make me regret teaching you, idiot apprentice."

Naruto was shocked by the haunted look on Jiraiya's face as his mentor lashed out furiously at him. It was like he wasn't even talking to Naruto at all. It was almost as if he were repeating a conversation between two other people that he merely witnessed.

"What are you babbling about Ero-sennin?" Naruto asked. He put on his most innocent pout as he delivered a bone cracking chakra enhanced blow to his aged opponent's ribs. He thought about all the people back in Konoha who were counting on him. All the important people he had sworn to protect. All the injustices that only someone greater than the Hokages would even attempt to correct. "I can't stop here. I don't understand your test, but I will surpass it!"

Naruto delivered another set of jabs to Jiraiya's midriff when suddenly a ripple in his perceptions caught him up short. Leaving himself vulnerable to attack he spun to the right and thrust his fist into midair where it ran up against something solid. Before he could correct his stance though the visible Jiraiya delivered a stout blow to Naruto's side and then melted into dark ooze.

"Genjutsu," Naruto wheezed as he leapt backwards to get clear of the immediate danger. He formed a seal and poured chakra into breaking the effects of the ongoing assault on his mind.

Jiraiya watched Naruto warily as he circled him looking for a weakness. He wasn't the best genjutsu user of all time. His specialty was in resisting them, twisting them against their user, and recognizing when they were being used. Finally he decided that it was now or never. Even Naruto would quickly tear down any illusion that he might employ.

Jiraiya's hands flew through a series of seals that ended with rock hard earthen projectiles carving themselves out of the soil all around Naruto's location. With a final burst of energy the chakra molded into the impromptu kunai propelled them into Naruto. In a flash he was impaled all over his body so that he resembled a strange blonde hedgehog.

Jiraiya staggered and the ground beneath him cracked from the force of Naruto's retaliation. There was a puff of smoke and Jiraiya realized that he had been fooled. The Naruto that he had attacked had only been a shadow clone. Jiraiya's hair spread out to shield him from the attack and he molded chakra into a spin to create a counter wind to repel the dense air Naruto was trying to crush him with.

Freed from the grip of Naruto's technique Jiraiya reacquired the brat's location and inhaled deeply, molding chakra into his breath for a series of air attacks of his own. Naruto flickered and reappeared back on the ground, also swelling up for an elemental attack. Jiraiya barely had time to spit fire to vaporize the incoming shots of water that Naruto was expelling toward him.

"Idiot apprentice," Jiraiya muttered to himself. "At this rate I'll wear you down and you know it."

Naruto struggled to catch his breath as he swallowed his last soldier pill. Like any medicine the soldier pill had limits and Naruto had just reached them. Sure, they could replenish a portion of one's chakra, but if a person were to consume too many too rapidly then they would burn out their chakra coils. From this point on Naruto was restricted to how much he could generate on his own and thanks to Jiraiya's training exercises from earlier he hadn't been anywhere near his full levels for the entire battle.

Naruto saw Jiraiya flash through another series of seals and faltered at what to do. Rushing in could be incredibly dangerous at this point, but if he didn't do something to end the match in his favor he was seriously going to die. Jiraiya had made it clear, for some reason known only to him, that the end of training with a Sannin appeared to be a life or death test. Naruto took a couple of hesitant steps forward and felt the ground slick over beneath his feet. Even enhanced traction provided by chakra couldn't prevail against the impossibly friction free surface of ice that Jiraiya had produced. Immediately, a hail of deadly shards rained down on Naruto from all sides to take advantage of his temporary unsteadiness.

Naruto concentrated his chakra and two seals hidden beneath his clothes, one on each upper arm, flared up. Seemingly out of no where a dense white colored membranous shield of chakra materialized to form two elongated halves that, when combined, could form a protective cocoon around his body. The ice shattered against his shield and before Jiraiya could react Naruto was on the attack again. The shields now served as weapons with each half of the curved lens shaped objects gouging out great chunks of ground wherever they missed Jiraiya.

"Rasengan!" Jiraiya shouted as he delivered two swirling maelstroms of chakra into Naruto's crossed shields. While calling out the attack wasn't necessary Jiraiya knew that sometimes an auditory cue helped focus the mind and as such made a difficult technique easier to pull off. Two rasengan crunched through Naruto's chakra shields with only moderate difficulty, but the time it took was all he needed to escape being caught up in the devastating attack.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu," Naruto yelled unexpectedly. Jiraiya cursed and leapt back expecting to see a huge frog appear before him. Instead what he saw could only be described as…bizarre. Two frogs had attached itself to Naruto's back, one of the frog's head was sitting atop his like a grotesque hat and the other was situated in the opposite direction with its head dangling off his backside like a flabby cape. Both frogs opened their mouths and unleashed their tongues, which wrapped tightly around Naruto's legs.

Jiraiya didn't have time to wonder what Naruto was trying to do when the purpose of the strange technique was demonstrated. Using the powerful muscles of the frog's tongues Naruto was able to propel himself to even greater speeds than normal. Jiraiya was suddenly on the receiving end of extremely powerful kicks from a Naruto moving so fast that he seemed to be in several places at once.

"Got you!" Naruto crowed as he appeared directly behind Jiraiya. He raised his leg high in the air to deliver a decisive blow to the old Sannin's exposed back when two large ghastly looking hands reached out of nowhere and punched him. The force of the blow sent Naruto rolling end over end until he crashed into an exposed slab of rock that was left over from an earlier earth technique.

"Its been a long time since someone forced me to use demon hands," Jiraiya said, exhaustion beginning to creep into his voice.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu," Naruto yelled again as he regained his feet. Two more frogs appeared in a similar configuration to the first two except that these were attached to the front of his body. Their tongues lashed out and wrapped themselves around Naruto's arms with the same effect as the first two.

"Idiot apprentice," Jiraiya laughed as he flickered into position behind Naruto. With those things clinging to you how do you even expect to see your opponent?

"Its easy," Naruto replied. Jiraiya flinched as he looked into the eyes of the frog clinging to Naruto's back. Instead of a normal frog's eyes these eyes were a deep color of blue. Quicker than he could react both frogs loosed their hind legs from around Naruto's torso and kicked Jiraiya squarely in the chest. "You're not the only one who can ask the frogs for new techniques you know. Unlike you I asked some of the smaller ones too. You're too obsessed with the big frog bosses Jiraiya."

Jiraiya grinned and wiped off a trickle of blood that was coming from his mouth. "Well done boy, but don't get cocky," he said he moved his hands in a series of seals again. However, before he could get the technique off Naruto let loose with an attack using one of his frog's tongues. With them wrapped around his arms Jiraiya never expected for them to be able to elongate out enough to hit him, but hit him they did, and with a blow far beyond that of what he would expect from such a young frog.

"Those frogs," he wheezed as he fell to one knee, "You're feeding them your chakra aren't you?"

"Exactly," Naruto said as he flicked away and appeared next to Jiraiya. Now the battle was trending in the opposite direction with Naruto's frog enhanced taijutsu dominating Jiraiya's waning technique. Naruto saw an opening and slipped a blow in to his old master's side, but as soon as it hit Jiraiya slipped in under his defenses and bashed one of his frogs to smoke. With symmetry destroyed Naruto's body was sent spiraling away from the Toad Sannin and caused the rest of his frogs to be dispelled.

Jiraiya smiled at having broken his student's offensive enhancements, but that smugness of was short lived when he saw a tag affixed to his side. He was barely able to channel enough chakra to survive the blast when his body was bowled over by the explosive seal Naruto had slipped onto him. He used the momentum of the explosion to dodge Naruto's flurry of kunai, but there wasn't much left he could do with the injuries he had endured.

Jiraiya pushed himself into an upright position out of sheer willpower and channeled his remaining chakra into a swirling sphere just in time to counter Naruto's own finishing Rasengan. Naruto's technique overpowered Jiraiya's in the end, the force of it cracking the ground beneath him, but stopping short of killing him.

"Its over Ero-sennin," Naruto said. He threw two shuriken and used his chakra to guide them so that they wrapped Jiraiya securely in strong metal wire that had been attached beforehand. "Now can you explain what this is all about."

Jiraiya groaned, but he was smiling. "Sure, but can you release me first, this is terribly uncomfortable you know."

"I don't know," Naruto said cheekily, "It might be a trick after that whole 'win or die' speech you gave me earlier."

"Sorry, that's the traditional speech," Jiraiya said. "I promise, no more tests from me, you pass."

"All right!" Naruto yelled happily.

"Now please, hurry," Jiraiya said. "Its embarrassing, what if someone saw me, the Legendary Toad Hermit, sitting here trussed up like this?"

A moment later Jiraiya was standing back up thanks to what limited medical treatment Naruto was capable of and his own endurance. He pulled out a scroll and tossed it to Naruto.

"What's this for?" Naruto asked suspiciously. Last time he had seen something like this it had ended up in him getting tossed off a cliff.

"It's a contract scroll of course," Jiraiya said. "But this scroll is something that only a couple of people get to see in the course of several generations usually."

"I thought I could only have one contract?" Naruto said.

"It isn't a contract for summoning," Jiraiya explained. "This is a contract with Konoha that was created by the First Hokage. Now that you've beaten me you can safely sign it and accept your new title."

"A title?" Naruto repeated, now quite confused.

"Right, this contract is very dangerous Naruto, since it measures if one is qualified to sign it. If you weren't then it would kill you," Jiraiya said. "That's what the test was for, to see if you had enough power to be worthy of the title."

"And if I had of failed?" Naruto asked.

"Then I would have had to kill you," Jiraiya admitted. Then upon seeing Naruto's face he hastily grinned and waved his hands frantically. "Not that there was ever a chance of that. I knew you could do it, and its done now so don't worry about it."

"It had better be worth it," Naruto grumbled.

"Of course it is," Jiraiya said indignantly. "Unroll it and sign your name just like you did with the frog contract."

Naruto did as he was instructed as Jiraiya explained what benefits would be bestowed upon him now. "You'll be able to leave the village as you see fit without being declared a missing-nin, even the Council and the Hokage can't command you directly, just ask for your cooperation. I really like that one."

"Jiraiya," Naruto said softly as soon as he had finished affixing his signature. The aging Sannin was shocked to hear his former apprentice use his name for a chance. "Your signature is here too, so is Tsnuade-baa-chan's, and even Orochimaru's."

"That's right Naruto-kun," Jiraiya said smugly. "Let me be the first to congratulate you, the fourth living holder of the title of Legendary Sannin of Konoha."


	2. Tsunade vs Sakura

AN: I wasn't aware that the term Sannin was one that described a specific number, I thought it was just a title seeing as how it has been used (didn't Jiraiya say at one point that the title of Sannin would have one less holder today during the fight with Orochimaru?). At the very least I assumed that Sannin might be like the rank 'captain' in many modern militaries, ie those who hold such rank do not necessarily command a naval vessel. In any event, I will explain the discrepancy in a way that I hope will be satisfying in this chapter, which will definitely be the last since I don't have time to undertake an expansive plot line right now. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review.

"Good morning Sakura-san," Shizune said cheerfully to the pink haired young lady as she entered the Hokage's office early in the morning. Haruno Sakura smiled back and continued on her way to the small side office where she normally spent most of her day attending to her duties, whether they be training or assisting with Tsunade's medical programs.

Before she disappeared through the door she glanced over at where Tsunade was standing, in front of the large widows overlooking the village. Her stomach twisted slightly, uncomfortable at the way her sensei had been acting for the last few days. It had all started late one afternoon when a frog had appeared bearing a large scroll, presumably from Jiraiya. Sakura had tried to get her to explain about what was going on, but beyond saying that everything was fine Tsunade hadn't elaborated further. She had also quickly hidden the scroll.

Sakura didn't like unsolved puzzles, but no matter how she considered it she couldn't unravel what significance the scroll could possibly have. It was far too large to be a communication and it looked a bit like a contract scroll for a summoning. Unfortunately, she didn't see how that was possible either since it seemed unlikely that a summoning scroll would cause Tsunade so much disconcertment. Not that the undiscerning eye would have noticed it, but Sakura had spent a great deal of time with Tsunade over the years. Ever since she got that scroll the Hokage's smile had seemed false and her posture tense whenever she was near her apprentice.

With a sigh Sakura shut the door behind her and started moving papers off of her small desk so that she would have some room to work with. Before she had even managed to sit down the door burst open and Tsunade bustled in holding a small tray with tea and cakes.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice you a minute ago Sakura-san," Tsunade said cheerfully, "I brought you something to make up for it."

Now Sakura's suspicions flared off the charts. Tsunade was routinely harsh, loud, and lazy. She had never, _ever_, played serving girl just to make up for a social slight before. Sending Shizune would have been believable, but coming personally was just out of the question. Then there was the fact that her mentor seemed to be in some kind of barely perceptible inner turmoil too.

"How unexpected Tsunade-sama," Sakura said hesitantly, "Thank you so much."

"Well, don't just stand there, I can be nice too you know," Tsunade replied loftily.

"Right, right," Sakura replied politely. She picked up the tea and turned herself away from Tsunade slightly. Her mentor had given her 'pop quizzes' in the past, though never by trying to poison her directly, but it was possible that this was something like that. No sooner than Sakura had begun molding her chakra in an attempt to detect any tampering with the drink than she felt a sharp pain in her side. Her head wrenched around sharply to take in an unfathomable scene. The pain intensified, followed by the warm wet feeling of gushing blood, as Sakura looked at the knife Tsunade had plunged to the hilt in her side.

"So careless," Tsunade said.

"Sakura-chan, Tsunade-sama, what is this?" Shizune yelled from the door, having heard the commotion she had come running and now dumbfounded at what was going on.

"Stay back Shizune-chan, this doesn't concern you," Tsunade said coldly. "I won't let you get away with your plot Sakura."

"Wha-?" Sakura tried to speak, but before she could finish one of Tsunade's chakra charged blows sent her crashing through the wall of the Hokage tower, propelling her all away across the street where she crashed through the wall of another building.

"Tsunade-sama, stop this madness," Shizune yelled as the older lady took a running jump through the hole Sakura's exit had made. Still, she could only stand rooted to the spot as the blonde rushed toward the damage caused by the pink haired girl's landing.

Sakura moaned as she tried to stand up and realized that her legs had been pinned down from some falling support beams that had once held up the structure her impact had just annihilated. Chakra rushed into her limbs as she kicked the debris off and stood unsteadily to her feet. To make matters worse the fall had pushed the dagger, which was still lodged in her side, even deeper into her guts. With a squelching noise she pulled the weapon free and then applied liberal amounts of healing chakra to repair the damage. For now she would just be satisfied with repairing the tissue damage and halting the bleeding, but as soon as possible she knew that she would have to treat herself for septic poisoning, among other infectious possibilities. Tsunade had known precisely where to stab her for the most injurious effects possible based on how they had been standing relative to each other at the time.

There was a thunderous crash and the rubble around Sakura seemed to vaporize itself in a flash of brilliant heat. Sakura channeled chakra throughout her body to enable her to survive the intense pressure that the destructive wave caused as it carved out an enormous crater around her position.

"Tsunade-sama, this is some kind of mistake," Sakura protested as her sensei plowed through the smoke that was choking off visibility almost entirely and proceeded to deliver a barrage of powerful blows.

"Did you think you could get away with it?" Tsunade asked, oblivious to Sakura's protests. "I've known about your designs since the beginning, but I had hoped you could be useful to Konoha anyway."

"Tsunade," Sakura pleaded as she slipped a punch through that sent the elderly blonde staggering back a few steps, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"But now," Tsunade continued as if Sakura hadn't even spoken, "I see that my experiment has come to naught. As Hokage I will now make sure that none of the medical secrets I pioneered will ever fall into Orochimaru's hands."

"That's crazy," Sakura protested angrily. "I would never betray Konoha to that snake."

"You're not fooling anyone," Tsunade retorted. "I know all about your past, remember? You already offered to betray Konoha before and now you're just waiting for an opportunity to defect for that Uchiha brat."

"You're wrong," Sakura said tersely. "I want to save Sasuke, not defect to Orochimaru."

Tsunade stomped down abruptly causing the earth to shiver and her foot to disappear into the ground thigh deep. With a massive surge of chakra enhanced muscles Sakura found a giant chunk of earth being dug out of the ground and kicked toward her with one sweeping move of Tsunade's leg. She realized with a start that if they stayed where they were the center of Konoha would swiftly be reduced to a wreck.

"If you want to stop me so badly then you'll have to catch me," Sakura yelled. She flickered away, appearing on top of a nearby building. Without waiting to see Tsunade leaping after her she ran as swiftly as she could toward the nearest training ground.

"Are you done yet?" Tsunade asked once they had arrived after an uneventful pursuit. "Or are you hoping you can run all the way to the other traitors?"

Sakura turned around slowly, her face an unreadable mask of scowling hard lines. She squelched ruthlessly the hurt feelings caused by her mentor's harsh words.

"You've grown considerably since the last attempt," Tsunade continued. "You're finally valuable enough that Orochimaru and his protégé will welcome you with open arms. Unfortunately, I can't allow that kind of talent to fall into the enemy's hands Sakura-chan."

"I told you already, I want to save Sasuke, not join him," Sakura replied. "Just like Naruto-kun, or has he become a defector in the waiting too? You of all people should know that I would never join Orochimaru, _no matter what_."

Sakura cracked her knuckles slowly, one at a time as she advanced on Tsunade's position. "Perhaps you believe that I'm still the weepy girl that was choking back her sorrow just so she could be your apprentice? Perhaps you're still thinking that you should hold against me those words that I told you I once said in my delusion and hope? If that's what you think Tsunade-sama, then I'll just have to beat some sense into you until you acknowledge I'm not that person anymore."

Tsunade suppressed what would have been a proud smile and charged, her heels gouging out holes in the turf so heavy were her steps. Sakura went into a slight crouch to lower her center of balance and winced in pain from the incompletely healed wound in her side. Chakra swirled around Tsunade's arm as she attempted to punch Sakura's midriff, but instead of yielding flesh her fist collided with another chakra reinforced blow. For a split second master and apprentice were connected, fist squarely against fist, until the energies of their attacks sent them careening away from each other.

Tsunade picked herself out of a shallow trench that she had created by skidding along the ground and noticed that Sakura was doing the same. Her hand dipped down to her right thigh for a quick healing technique to repair the muscles that Sakura had unexpectedly severed in the midst of Tsunade's last attack. Likewise, Sakura was healing the surgical cut that Tsunade had inflicted on her left arm.

Without waiting for Sakura to finish Tsunade slammed her hands down into the ground and pulled out a large chunk of rock, which she threw at the pink haired girl. Sakura responded by punching her way through the projectile, but that proved to be a mistake as the ground beneath her ruptured on each side. Twin slabs of bedrock, under the combined influence of Tsunade's chakra and monstrous strength, slammed together sandwiching the girl between them. The aging Hokage leaped high into the air intending to bring down her leg with a decisive drop kick technique when the stones obscuring Sakura split into dozens of tiny chunks and fell away.

Tsunade noticed the straight edges of the gravel remaining from Sakura's escape and clapped her hands together in a difficult wind technique to escape her prior trajectory. It was well that she did so, for as soon as she touched down Sakura set upon her with invisibly thin scalpel-like blades of chakra emanating from her fingers. From a pace of over ten meters the two women faced off with the ultimate weapons of supreme chakra control. Sparks erupted in midair as their 'claws' met and scrapped over each other as both tried to skewer the other.

Sakura moved her fingers rapidly up and down with her hand held horizontally at chest height. The tips of her long chakra claws exploded against the ground and ripped up gouges repeatedly as Tsunade expertly dodged the nimble attacks. Sakura felt pain lance through her shoulder and realized that Tsunade had changed tactics again. Now the legendary medic was rapidly varying the length of her chakra appendages and using that effect for a flurry of invisible jabbing attacks. Doing the only thing she could think of in such a situation Sakura somersaulted backwards, out of her teacher's reach.

No time was given for Sakura to recover though. Tsunade shortened the reach of her chakra scalpels and charged at Sakura, waiting until the last instant to send all ten razor sharp edges rocketing toward her position at the same time. Sakura smirked and leaped straight into the air just as Tsunade's attack plowed into the ground, kicking up a lot of dust. Before the Hokage could retract her tendrils of chakra Sakura landed _on top_ of them and used chakra pooled in her feet to race back up along the tiny, but strong strands to deliver a devastating kick to Tsunade's head.

"Did that jar some sense back into you?" Sakura asked smugly as she landed lightly on her feet. With an angry roar Tsunade bounced back off the ground, chest heaving, and punched the ground rapidly. Each blow churned up thick clouds of dirt and caused the earth to quake enough that Sakura's balance wobbled. With unexpected speed Tsunade emerged from the dust and started raining down hammer blows on the relatively tiny pink haired girl.

"Fine," Sakura said to herself as she dug her feet in. "If you want to go at this like a couple of drunken brawlers then so be it."

Shizune and Tonton arrived just in time to see two figures in the midst of a giant cloud of dust and debris begin pounding on each other. Most of the blows being exchanged between the two women were landing on each other, fist against fist, each time with a dull thunderous concussion as excess chakra was dispersed into the surrounding atmosphere. However, some of the blows were getting through and despite almost inhuman levels of chakra enhanced durability both women were becoming increasingly bloodied. Tsunade's hair, normally in lazy pigtails, had come free and was swishing around with each swing of her fists. One of Sakura's eyes was swollen shut and even though she was still delivering full powered punches Shizune was almost certain her right wrist had shattered. At last they broke apart, as if they both realized at the same time that if they didn't pause to heal their ability to sustain combat would soon be lost.

"She's really trying to kill me," Sakura thought to herself as she tried to will her limbs to cease shaking from fatigue. Her chakra levels were rapidly depleting thanks to the healing she was having to do, usually on the same injuries as Tsunade was directing her attacks to reopen old wounds repeatedly. Each healing of a old wound was less complete than the last and Sakura knew that the worst injuries, her side and her wrist, would soon becoming inoperable at this rate.

One glance at Tsunade and Sakura's plight seemed even more desperate to Shizune. She was alarmed at how the Medical Princess of Konoha, so dubbed by Jiraiya, was acting, though she still had faith that it was a just cause. Tsunade had tricked her before, after all, into thinking that she might actually help Orochimaru. At least Shizune had convinced herself that Tsunade had been tricking her all along and had never considered aiding the evil Sannin.

Freshly healed again Tsunade looked as formidable as ever, her chakra reserves were still so high that it was impossible to tell how much power was left in her aging body. Sakura on the other hand had taken a stiff beating, not to mention having to overcome such a grievous wound being inflicted on her by surprise before the real battle had even started. The pink haired girl had swallowed several pills to replenish chakra, blood, and boost her strength.

With a deep breath of relief thanks to the warm soothing effects of her medicines Sakura cleared her mind and concentrated on her next move. Tsunade was walking slowly toward her, hands flashing in rapid execution of seals as her trademark jacket billowed out behind her.

Sakura tried to move, but found herself rooted in place. She channeled vast quantities of chakra into her muscles as she vainly struggled against some unseen force. The world around her went black and still except for the sound of running water all around her. The inky black water started to creep up her legs and panic began to set in, despite her attempts to squelch it.

"Its no use Sakura-chan," a familiar voice said from behind her. Sakura twisted around and came face to face with Naruto, but Naruto unlike any she wanted to imagine. His clothes were tattered and bloody, exposing great festering holes left over from attacks that had punctured through his torso.

"Naruto-kun," Sakura said, shocked, even as her mind was yelling at her that this was only a genjutsu. A bloody hand reached out of Naruto's chest, its power jerking the tattered remains of his body in half before tossing him aside.

Sasuke's face, covered in a demented expression, stared at her from point blank range. "Why so sad Sakura-chan?" he asked lightly.

"No, it isn't real," Sakura mumbled frantically. Some morbid power forced her to look into Sasuke's eyes. Terror gripped her as she realized that they were not the red patterns of Sharingan, but instead had the appearance of a snake's eye.

"You failed them all didn't you, the people you cared about," Orochimaru said with Sasuke's voice. "You really are Tsunade's apprentice after all."

"No, this is wrong," Sakura said, strength creeping back into her voice as she fought the illusion.

"I'll kill them, I've already killed them, they're going to die because of you, _they have died because of you_," Orochimaru chanted, his hot breath in Sakura's face.

"I won't let you," Sakura screamed, her chakra surging enough to shatter the inky black water than had nearly reached her chest by that point. Inner fire seemed to range out of control, threatening to become an outer flame as well. "With my own power I will see you burn Orochimaru!"

Tsunade watched her twitching apprentice with curiosity even as the powerful technique fought to overcome her mind. "Is this really your end Sakura?" she asked herself aloud.

"No!" a voice rumbled from behind, "This is your end child."

"I-I-Impossible," Tsunade said, utterly rattled by the booming voice, which was instantly recognizable thanks to the many descriptions she had heard of it over the years. "Kyubi, you're dead."

"Not dead little one, nor imprisoned any longer thanks to that fool you call Jiraiya," Kyubi said smugly. "The idiot pushed Naruto too hard and I managed to escape."

Tsunade fought back tears as the demon fox flicked one of its tails and tossed two limp forms down at her feet. The broken mangled bodies of Naruto and Jiraiya, still steaming from the Kyubi's fire, but completely dead.

"I'm going to destroy everything you ever cared about, slowly, as you watch, feeble Hokage," Kyubi roared maliciously. One of its tails lashed out and to Tsunade's horror obliterated the prone form of Sakura. Next it ravaged Konoha, one section at a time, as countless ninja attacked it only to be killed in the monster's ambient fire.

"Dan," Tsunade called out longingly as her long dead boyfriend attacked the demon and perished in a small burst of flame.

Abruptly Tsunade whirled and plowed her fist through the air shattering the illusion around her in a flash as Sakura staggered back holding her stomach. She had seen through the illusion from the start since it was merely her own technique twisted back upon her, but she had played along to get a free shot in against Sakura.

"How do you like it," Sakura said hotly as she raked Tsunade with elongated scalpels of chakra, "Having your worst nightmares turned in on you."

Tsunade disappeared in a puff of smoke and a small log, cut into pieces, clattered to the ground in her place. She reappeared a short distance away, visibly fatigued, and took a long drink out of a bottle that looked suspiciously like sake. Tossing the bottle aside she wiped a bit of blood that was trickling down her face from a cut above her eye and slammed her palm into the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu," Tsunade called out. When the smoke cleared she was standing astride the great Slug Queen Katsuyu.

"How can I aid you Tsunade-sama?" Katsuyu asked politely.

"The enemy is before us," Tsunade said sternly as she pointed to Sakura.

"Understood," Katsuyu replied. She rapidly expelled several streams of acid toward a bobbing and weaving Sakura who barely managed to evade the lethal assault. There was a flash as Sakura tossed several kunai with smoke bombs attached to mask her movements as she headed toward the nearby tree line.

"Stay back," Tsunade yelled. Shizune and Tonton, who had wisely stayed far away from the line of fire, had been joined by several ANBU. Their expressions were hidden behind stoic masks, but none the less Shizune got the impression that they were reluctant to follow their Hokage's edict.

Through the smoke screen left by Sakura a tree trunk came whizzing out like a missile and embedded itself in Katsuyu's ponderous form. The smoke started to clear as more trees were flung into the slow moving slug where they penetrated the creature's soft body. Shizune could see Sakura breaking the massive plants off at their base and then hurling them as easily as a person might throw a ball.

Katsuyu fragmented into many dozens of tiny slugs and bounded across the ground toward Sakura. Tsunade was lost from sight amongst their numbers and Sakura was quickly surrounded. She had broken off another tree and was now wielding it as a makeshift club. Each swing sent the tiny slugs spinning away, many of them disappearing in a cloud of smoke as they went back to where they came from. As one they all swelled up and let off long thick streams of acid. Sakura tried to dodge, but there were too many. Her skin hissed and boiled as the slugs' acid landed.

Then, when they seemed to have finished their most devastating attack, the slugs rushed Sakura, piling on top of her until she was completely obscured from sight. They swelled up again, but this time instead of shooting acid they exploded violently. Shizune was forced to look away from the intense light generated from the blast, but she could feel the wind it produced whipping angrily past her.

When the smoke cleared Sakura was a wreck, barely alive, and in danger of being finished off by Tsunade at any moment, though the blonde Sannin was clearly exhausted and suffering from the onset of chakra depletion too. Sakura reached up with a shaky arm and traced her hand over the jagged broken bone that had pierced through her skin. With a sickening snap she wrenched the errant limb back into place and then through force of will formed a series of hand seals.

Tsunade dug into the ground for another oversized piece of earth to smash her apprentice in what would easily be a finishing blow with Sakura in her current state when the pink haired girl started to glow at five different points on her body. Seal forms emerged on her arms, thighs, and midriff, all giving off immense chakra.

"I've been storing chakra in these seals for a long time thanks to your inspiration Tsunade-sama," Sakura said shakily as the seals began to melt off and rush their power toward her right arm.

"So, you intend to trade some of your life for a regeneration?" Tsunade asked.

"No," Sakura said flatly. Tsunade's eyes widened slightly in shock that the seals were different than her own technique. "Instead of making myself old, baa-chan, I will simply use the reservoir of chakra to fuel the most powerful healing techniques and restore my body the old fashion way."

"Impudent brat," Tsunade snarled, outraged at being called baa-chan. "Don't you think I tried it that way first. You don't have the power to heal yourself up front without trading off some of your life span. This vain mistake will cost you all of your life instead of a mere portion."

Sakura smiled faintly, her hand glowing with a healing technique as Tsunade hurled her last attack. For a moment everyone gathered was convinced that the boulder had done its job, but with a dull reverberating crash Sakura pounded the stone to rubble with a single blow. Tsunade, drained of her chakra reserves and out of time to perform another jutsu, held up her hands as Sakura charged. Her arm was covered in dark seal lines as the stored chakra continued to pour into the limb, enhancing her strength by orders of magnitude now that no burdensome healing techniques was draining the influx of power.

"Am I dead?" Tsunade though as she opened her eyes again, not even realizing that she had closed them. Sakura's fist was scarcely an inch away from her nose.

"Did I pass Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked sweetly.

"Wha...how did you know?" Tsunade asked weakly. Sakura caught her sensei as she sagged over and began administering some badly needed healing techniques.

" I just had a hunch after the way you'd been acting recently," Sakura said. "I was thinking you'd poison me or something, not stab me through the guts and then try to kill me though."

"Sorry Sakura-chan," Tsunade replied. "It was necessary. The final test that a Sannin master must give her apprentice."

"Final test?" Sakura asked. "Is that why you had to put me through that genjutsu and make all those accusations? That wasn't a very believable performance by the way."

"I'm not an actress," Tsunade said crossly. "But to answer your question, yes. Each master has to test their apprentice in their own way. I felt that some probing of your emotional state was in order."

"I understand," Sakura said quietly, lost in thought as the visions came back to her. Tsunade brushed off Sakura's hands and indicated that she was well enough to move on her own again. She wiped off a bit of blood from her clothes and slammed her palm into the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu."

A small slug appeared and unrolled its body so that Tsunade could retrieve the scroll that she had seen the frog deliver several days previously. Tsunade carefully unrolled the scroll and sat it in front of Sakura.

"Hokage-sama, are you all right?" an ANBU member asked suddenly.

"Yes, yes, stay quiet will you?" Tsunade replied in an annoyed tone. Shizune had rushed up too, Tonton in hand, but also remained quiet when she heard the admonishment directed toward the ANBU.

"What is this?" Sakura asked. "Why is Naruto-kun's signature here?"

"It's a contract scroll Sakura," Tsunade explained. "Only one recognized as a Sannin may sign it safely. Look closer, you can see my name, and Jiraiya's."

"And Orochimaru's," Sakura thought to herself. "Wait a minute," she blurted out. "Naruto-kun is a Sannin now?"

"Apparently so," Tsunade said, ignoring the discontent radiating from several of the ANBU. "So are you, just as soon as you finish signing."

"But how?" Sakura asked. "Sannin, by definition, can only be three, right?"

"Not exactly," Tsunade said, sighing slightly. "Three is the limit actually, but only per generation. However, there don't have to be three. In fact, since the founding of Konoha there have only been two groups of three Sannin from the same generation at any one time. Originally, the Sannin were intended to be an elite group of ninja below the Hokage who would act like support pillars for Konoha's government. Those three warriors would stand ready to fill the spot of Hokage should something unexpected happen. Unfortunately finding enough ninja with the required power was more difficult than Konoha's founders had imagined."

"So the title has become more than just a numerical description then," Sakura said. Without hesitation she bit her finger and signed her name to the scroll.

"I'm proud of you, Sakura-sama," Tsunade said warmly. "Fifth living holder of the title of Legendary Sannin of Konoha."


	3. Perks of the Sannin

_In the months following the rise of two new Sannin in the Hidden Village of Konoha the balance of power amongst the five great Kage powers tilted once again in favor of the Leaf shinobi. Konoha had seriously gone on the attack for the first time since the formation of the village and as a result had gained territory from the land of Waterfall and Grass. The Village Hidden in the Rocks had backed down from its escalation of border wars as it attempted to bring itself more into contact with the Land of Wind and its weakened Village Hidden in the Sand. _

_The Enemy of Konoha, the fallen Sannin Orochimaru, continued to draw men and material from Sound and from mercenary allies drawn from the shinobi in Waterfall and Grass. While no proof was available, numerous uprisings in the foreign lands taken into the custody of the Leaf were believed to be the work of the evil Sannin and his cohorts. It was during these revolts and the lawlessness that they generated that the new Sannin team of Konoha created their legend as they enforced the Hokage's will by defeating forces that would have normally required an entire army of shinobi to contain. _

_Seemingly overnight the perceptions of vulnerability that had been created in the eyes of the other Kage powers as a result of the Sand-Sound invasion of Konoha almost completely evaporated. All opposing shinobi saw was the devastating power that the Leaf wielded against them, though there were many who still licked their wounds in anticipation of another conflict between the Sannin. The terror was especially acute whenever the presence of the rumored demon container was inflicted upon one of Konoha's enemies. However, the fear that the Leaf symbol garnered was edged with the knowledge that a disproportionate amount of Konoha's power remained dependent on a mere four individuals, two of which were advancing in age._

_It was from that position of possibly fleeting strength that the Fifth Hokage had attempted to reshape the world in Konoha's favor and stretch the influence of the Leaf into the distant future. The extent of her success would only be told with time and all too likely would be counted in bodies._

"I hope you're happy Naruto," Jiraiya said with an annoyed tone of voice as they made their way slowly down the broad dirt road that lead to Konoha. "I'm going to get pounded by Tsunade-hime thanks to your hobby making us late."

"Are you still whining about that Ero-sennin?" Naruto replied petulantly. "You know, not everyone has income from their own line of perverted books. Some of us have to make a living by working for it."

"If you call collecting bounties on small fry like that working," Jiraiya replied, referring to the missing nin that Naruto had turned over to the Rock.

"Are you talking _again_ Jiraiya?" Sakura asked. Naruto noticed his old teacher's face pale ever so slightly. The sound of her knuckles cracking ominously filled the air. "Do I need to remind you that we're late because you decided to do some "research" at the last two villages?"

"Ah, no," Jiraiya said, rubbing a sore spot on his head, "I remember the last time you told me."

Naruto grinned triumphantly as the frog hermit slunk back to the end of their three person line grumbling about how Sakura was only taking his side because he'd split the bounty with her. One of the downside of being a Sannin was that most of their activities didn't bring them a steady salary like their jobs as regular ninja had.

"Ah, it feels good to be back again," Naruto said as they saw the top of Konoha's high wall finally peeking above the treetops. Sakura shook her head slightly, still amazed even after all this time that Naruto loved the village so much after all the abuse it had repaid him with over the years.

They passed through the main gates without so much as a challenge from the two ninja on guard and proceeded to walk directly through the village toward the Hokage's office building. Sakura smiled warmly as she saw many villagers waving and shouting greetings at herself, Jiraiya, and Naruto. Even some of the older villagers, the ones who used to hate him, had come to respect and admire Naruto. Their change of heart had come not only because of his rising to the title of Sannin, but because Naruto had been the tip of Konoha's new spear of military power. Even the people who had always thought of him as the nine tailed demon had to admit that he had saved many lives in putting down brewing wars before they began by using his abilities to crush the will of Konoha's enemies to fight.

"Come on, come on," Naruto said energetically, "let's go straight on up."

"Naruto-kun," Sakura called out ineffectively as she watched him go running up the side of the Hokage's headquarters yelling out "ba-chan" repeatedly.

"He still has no manners," Jiraiya said as he jumped after him.

"You should talk," Sakura muttered, following the legendary pervert up the wall.

They arrived in Tsunade's office just in time to see two of their ambassadors and a council member on their way out. Surprisingly, Tsunade had caught Naruto up in a large friendly hug instead of bashing him through a wall for calling her old such as she typically did.

"So, was the mission a success?" Tsunade asked once they were all settled down and seated in plush armchairs in front of her desk.

"Well, we didn't have to fight at the second village," Naruto said. He was sitting lazily, but a trained ninja eye would have recognized that he hadn't really let his guard down.

"As soon as we appeared the rebels laid down their arms," Jiraiya said. "I think they were expecting assistance from the Rock."

"Well, we won't have to worry about that anymore," Tsunade said. "At least for the short term I hope. The ambassadors were just telling me of their meeting with the Rock's representatives. They've signed a renewed treaty of friendship and non-aggression. It isn't as airtight as our alliance with the Sand, but it should prevent the Rock from attempting anything if our attention needs to be directed elsewhere. It's almost like we were young again Jiraiya."

"Yeah," Jiraiya agreed, though his voice didn't sound very enthusiastic. He remembered how Konoha had experienced a small golden age of peace and prosperity thanks to the bloody efforts of himself, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. He was afraid that history would repeat itself at this rate considering the number of immensely powerful opponents that they still faced.

"Even without the Rock, the Sound will still be causing problems though, right?" Naruto asked.

"Orochimaru may try to incite uprisings, but he doesn't have the strength to support them directly like the Rock was threatening to do," Tsunade said.

"Besides, there can only be on reason why our old companion hasn't used the body stealing technique on his apprentice yet," Jiraiya said, referring to the intelligence that they had indicating Orochimaru had taken a new host within the last year or so who wasn't Sasuke. "He still needs Sasuke's strength combined with his own to defeat his enemies."

"We're fortunate that Orochimaru is so fixated on destroying Konoha," Tsunade said thoughtfully. "If chaos were truly all he wanted he could accomplish that by wiping out any of the Kage powers and none of the rest of them are as able to face his kind of threat as we are."

"Eh, if that's what you call fortunate baa-chan," Naruto replied, hopping up from his seat. He tossed a scroll on Tsunade's desk and headed for the door. "Let us know if you need anything else. Are you coming with me to the Ichiraku Sakura-chan?"

"Yes, yes, but don't just decide things on your own," Sakura chided him teasingly as she joined him, waving happily to their two old masters who had remained seated.

"They seemed happy," Tsunade commented casually as soon as they were gone.

"Frogs and slugs are natural companions," Jiraiya replied, hinting at her. He leaned forward as Tsunade reached for the report that Naruto had left on her desk. "Don't you think, Tsunade-hime?"

"I don't know, I've never seen a frog that didn't have a problem with perversion," Tsunade said. For the second time the legendary hermit heard the ominous sound of knuckles cracking with chakra enhanced strength. "Eh, Jiraiya-kun?"

"Eh-heh-heh," Jiraiya chuckled nervously. "Why don't you read that report, there might be something important. Actually, I just thought of somewhere I need to be, sorry hime, I'll be back after while."

Tsunade refrained from laughing as her old teammate scuttled out of the room and turned her attention to Naruto's scroll.

_10 Days Earlier_

"What's the situation Naruto?" Jiraiya asked. Naruto was sitting idly on a tree branch nearby watching Sakura as she traced seals onto a scroll in preparation for some incomprehensible technique that Tsunade had apparently taught her.

"I'm still waiting for the last two shadow clones to dispel themselves and report in," Naruto replied. "It looks like the town is encompassed by pretty heavy defenses though, for non-shinobi anyway. They've also got several ninja keeping watch, but it shouldn't be anything we can't handle. I think most of their ninja are either too young or too old to be a real threat."

"It might be a trap," Sakura said. "They could just be using a transformation to look weaker than they are."

Naruto shrugged, it was always possible, but improbable since it would require that their opponents realize he was scouting them. Otherwise, they couldn't hold an exhausting transformation all the time on the off chance of confusing a scout.

"Is there any approach that won't be spotted?" Jiraiya asked, trying to keep the conversation steered towards tactics.

"No, they've cleared out the forest around their position for a good five hundred yards in every direction," Naruto replied. "They've even flattened out the terrain and marked it to give their ranged weapons added accuracy. Not that we can't still sneak in anyway."

"I'm against stealth," Sakura said as she wrapped up her scroll. "We want to make a visible example out of their attempt at thwarting Konoha, right?"

"Yeah, but it will be more terrifying for them if we appear unexpectedly in their midst," Jiraiya said.

"I doubt it would be more terrifying than us demolishing their defenses with powerful techniques," Sakura retorted.

"What do you think Naruto?" Jiraiya asked. The golden haired ninja made a slight whining noise at being drawn into such an argument.

"I agree with Sakura-chan," he replied. Jiraiya started to mutter something about him kissing up when Naruto cut him off with an explanation. "We want to minimize casualties don't we? If we destroy their defenses they might get scared and surrender, but if we appeared suddenly in the middle of the village and started taking people out they might decide to fight like a cornered animal."

"All right, we'll do this one your way Sakura-chan," Jiraiya said finally. "But I want Naruto to send in some shadow clones to infiltrate the village to stage a diversion from within if we start having any trouble."

"Just because I have a lot of chakra doesn't mean you need to waste it on every mission we take," Naruto grumbled.

"It's good for you boy," Jiraiya said, grinning broadly. "You'll thank me one day, just like all my other guaranteed success rate training techniques."

"You mean like tossing him off of a cliff?" Sakura asked sarcastically as she teasingly referred to one of the many stories she had coaxed out of Naruto since they began taking missions together as Sannin. Jiraiya pouted in return, mumbling something about being abused by slugs all his life.

"Ah, there went the last one," Naruto said, referring to his shadow clone scouts. His hands moved rapidly to form the seals necessary for a handy little technique that allowed him to display the information his clones had gathered about the layout of the land in a three dimensional sculpture of dust on the ground. The particles of grit swirled together to form houses, walls, and weapon placements in a precise replica of the village they were to attack.

"It shouldn't be too difficult to demolish these catapults and stockade walls," Jiraiya said as he examined the layout.

"Well, then I guess the only thing left to do is give them a chance to surrender," Naruto said.

The aging Jonin Kazuo, who commanded the shinobi force stationed at the village in question looked out nervously across the artificially barren landscape surrounding his charge. His village, the Grass, had been unwilling to risk a direct confrontation with the powerful Leaf so he had been sent out to oversee a band of "homeless" ninja in hopes that the Hokage would overlook such a small village so long as it had a few fangs. He could have told his superiors that such a notion was folly. Unfortunately for this village it constituted an unacceptable break in the internal lines of communication that Konoha was relying upon when it expanded its border beyond the village's location.

Konoha had learned several things from its war with the Sand and the Sound. The territories that it had been content to allow its neighbors to exercise domain over were suddenly viewed with suspicion as an unacceptable staging ground too close to Konoha proper. The people who had been ignored by the Hidden Leaf had also become instant threats overnight, and not without good reason. The Jonin had no interest in politics, but he was beginning to suspect that a foreign hand was stirring the pot against Konoha under his very nose. To the best of his knowledge the Hokage had always extended the hand of friendship to the border states, but now peasants who lived near that border rallied with torches and pitchforks at the mere mention of a Leaf shinobi.

"Sir, we've got three individuals approaching from the South," one of his Chunin, a youth named Yuki, called out in warning.

"Their headbands have the leaf symbol on them," a Jonin named Taro added.

Kazuo shook his head at how out of touch Taro was for a man who claimed to be a Jonin. Of course, to be fair Taro had been retired from active duty until just a little under a month ago. Still, the fame of the three individuals approaching their humble village was great enough that he should have recognized them. There were few shinobi in this part of the world, at least those who collected information about opponents they should try to avoid conflict with, who didn't know the Sannin of Konoha on sight.

"Sir, those three, they're Konoha's enforcers!" Yuki exclaimed nervously as they finally came in close enough for him to recognize them too.

"Don't call them that," Kazuo replied tersely. "Even if they are our opponents, they are great ninja more worthy of respect than to be called mere enforcers."

"They've come to pillage this village and destroy its heritage of independence," Yuki spat angrily.

"You've been listening to the villagers too much Yuki," Taro said softly. "Even though our orders are to keep this village out of Konoha's hands perhaps we can yet avoid a fight."

"Greetings, villagers at the fork," the ninja Kazuo recognized as Jiraiya called out. "You have turned away agents of the Hokage and fortified the lands under Konoha's jurisdiction without leave."

"Greetings, Sannin of Konoha," Kazuo replied. "I am afraid that you are mistaken, this land doesn't reside under the jurisdiction of any shinobi."

"That might once have been true, but no more," Jiraiya said. "Everything from here to the horizon has reverted to the Hidden Leaf. Defying our patrols and turning away our agents will not be met with restraint during these trying times."

"Oi, old man," the blonde haired Sannin called out. "It isn't a bad deal, or does Grass want its whole territory annexed?"

Kazuo chuckled to himself as the pink haired Sannin began berating the complacent relaxed looking blonde for his lack of tact. He had a point though, not that Kazuo would ever admit it.

"The Leaf hasn't waxed strong enough to subdue the Grass without the wolves ripping it apart while its claws are busy elsewhere," Kazuo replied. "Besides, we are humble homeless nin hired to protect this village. You have no quarrel with the Grass."

"Yet we must have this strategic territory to defend the heart of our domain," Jiraiya said. He didn't even bother to mention the "homeless nin" ploy since it was so obvious.

Even though he didn't say it, Kazue heard the rest of his statement. If Grass stands in Konoha's way then the Leaf be at a serious disadvantage regardless so it might as well make the Grass shinobi suffer for their defiance.

"Perhaps we can yet reach a solution agreeable to all sides," Kazue said. "If we allowed Konoha to patrol this area at will would you agree to an accord over this disputed zone?"

"You cannot be serious commander," Yuki said, hostility oozing out in his tone. "Who knows what they might do with their "patrols." We've got to stop them here."

"Hold your tongue Chunin," Kazue retorted. He directed his attention back to the three standing outside his walls. "Please, come in and accept our hospitality."

With seemingly little effort the three famous ninja appeared at his side, relaxed, apparently letting their guard down, though Kazue found that to be highly unlikely.

"If you'd like, we can draw up a field agreement between myself and the three of you which will hopefully encourage the Grass to mediate the negotiations we spoke of a moment ago," Kazue said, maintaining the front of homeless nin for the sake of saving face.

"That would be acceptable, so long as Konoha's interest in securing this area is met for now." Jiraiya said. Kazue smiled inwardly as he turned to order one of his subordinates to get a blank scroll. Konoha had a reputation as one of the gentlest shinobi nations, so much so that it sometimes made their enemies forget that beneath that lay a core of iron. He for one remembered the first Sannin and the Third, not to mention the Fourth, and as such had no desire to fight these people.

"Double Snake Destroyer," Yuki called out as he appeared unexpectedly. "You dogs shouldn't have let your guard down."

Kazue whirled around, shocked at the sight of three large deadly snakes bursting through the chest of each Sannin. Even more shocking than the sight of their gory deaths was the technique his Chunin follower had used. There was a pop and a cloud of smoke as the three shadow clones disappeared.

"You," Kazue said, snapping into action he grabbed the lapel of Yuki's shirt and shook him violently, "What do you think you've done? We could have saved this village from itself if you had been content to sit quietly."

There was thunderous crash from the opposite end of the village and the time for recriminations had ended as quickly as it begun. Kazue gave the signal and his forces dispersed to join in the fight.

"I thought we were going to get out of this without a battle there for a second," Naruto said as his clones were impaled.

"Let's do this thing then," Sakura said, her chakra flaring up.

"All right, but watch out for this one Chunin," Naruto said, describing the shinobi who had destroyed his clones. "He was using techniques I've only ever seen from Orochimaru and his students."

"Maybe we'll finally get a link to the Sound," Jiraiya said.

He followed Naruto and Sakura as they began to approach the fortifications of the village. A few arrows were being fired along with an occasional shot from the catapults which were stationed at regular intervals. The defenses were mostly geared toward repelling a regular army though instead of ninja. Naruto's hands quickly moved through a set of seals as he completed an earth technique that called up large spherical boulders from the ground.

Sakura picked the large stones out of the bed of chakra they were floating on and tossed them with stunning accuracy toward the catapults. After impact the boulders fell apart into loose soil as the chakra molded into them dissipated. Within a few seconds the two of them had demolished almost all of the village's large weapons and knocked several gaping holes in the stockade wall.

Naruto and Jiraiya inhaled deeply as a new hail of arrows rained down on them. Twin balls of dispersed fire incinerated the incoming projectiles and created wind currents that disrupted their trajectory. Naruto inhaled a second time and unleashed a thin stream of fire that sliced through the few remaining siege weapons effortlessly.

The villagers who had assembled to fire bows and man the catapults scattered before the leisurely approach of Konoha's greatest warriors. Now the remainder of the battle would be decided by shinobi.

"You should surrender," Jiraiya said as around twenty ninja, mostly Chunin and Jonin, surrounded them. "In fact, most of you should retire."

"I don't want to hear that from you!" Taro shouted indignantly. He wasn't _that _much older than the hermit Sannin.

Kazue gestured and the attack was joined, but even though they outnumbered the enemy more than six to one he wasn't optimistic. A dozen kunai thudded into Naruto only for his body to melt away into mud a few seconds later as the earth behind his attackers swirled up to reveal his form. He inhaled deeply, molding chakra, and spat out a thick gooey substance that caught up two Chunin in a swiftly hardening straight jacket which effectively put them out of the action.

Sakura pulled out a few strands of pink hairs and infused them with chakra until they became stiff needle like projectiles. Three enemy ninja fell to the ground, nerves and tendons pierced through to the point where their limbs lost strength or ached with phantom pain. Her stomach swelled out slightly as she built up chakra before she spat out a huge volume of liquid. Two more of the enemy's ranks fell to the disabling acid that only a slug master could call upon.

Jiraiya grinned as his apprentice showed off with the quick and easy techniques he had taught him. Even the pink haired girl the boy was always pining over had some chakra techniques that were cheap and easy to pull off, yet devastating to weaker ninja like those they were currently fighting. As for him, he was content to knock out his opponents the old fashion way with plain simple fists. His share of the opponents had fallen quickly to dozens of hammer blows from an old man that was too fast for them to see, let alone block, when he was moving at his top chakra enhanced speed.

Naruto's fingers gathered chakra in their tips, which burned brightly with a technique, as he closed in on the Jonin commander. The old man tried to stop him, and indeed almost managed to dodge his attacks, but it only took the slightest brush of his fingertips against his stomach to finish the seal.

"What did you do to me boy?" Kazue asked, coughing sickly as he felt his strength fleeing away.

"I sealed off your ability to access chakra," Naruto replied smugly. "Don't worry though, its temporary."

The seal only held back chakra, but in so doing it degraded itself. Eventually the energy flow would break through like water bursting from a dam. It wouldn't even work at all on those who had too much chakra to begin with.

"Great, just great," Sakura said unhappily as she walked over dragging a body behind her.

"Hey, isn't that the guy who used the snakes," Jiraiya asked. "I thought we were going to be careful not to kill him."

"Yeah, well, we didn't kill him," Sakura said, pointing to the now limp hairs that were embedded in his tendons. "He poisoned himself with something pretty exotic."

"I hope you don't mind old man," Naruto said cheekily to the Jonin commander, "But we're going to be taking this guy with us for study."

"We're not going to do anymore damage than we've already done," Jiraiya said. "But if we have to come back here again there won't be anything left of this town, understand?"

Kazue said nothing, knowing that his team would probably be recalled after this and the villagers wouldn't dare risk defying Konoha again. At least, he hoped they wouldn't because after the incident with Yuki he had a feeling that the evil Sannin of legend, the rumored immortal Orochimaru, had set this conflict in motion. His report would be sure to mention to his superiors that they risked being played by a common enemy if they continued to resist the Leaf.

_Present Time_

Tsunade put down the scroll, finding Naruto's insights and interrogation of the prisoners most illuminating. There was even a little map on the last few inches of scroll indicating the villages they had sacked, what they had done there, and when the action had occurred. She leaned back and reached for her sake.

"Oi, old man, we're starving," Naruto said happily as he took his seat next to Sakura at the Ichiraku ramen stand. He was in a particularly good mood as a result of all the well wishes and congratulations on another mission well done from the villagers as he walked down the street.

"Naruto-sama, my favorite customer," Teuchi replied, grinning. It had been quite a long time since he'd seen either of them. "And of course you too Sakura-sama."

"It's nice to see you again too Teuchi-san," Sakura replied politely. She was in less of a good mood than Naruto. Though she was overjoyed that he had finally gained a measure of respect and status in the eyes of the villagers, she didn't appreciate _some_ of the attention he garnered these days.

"So how long are you back for this time?" Ayame asked as she placed bowls in front of them.

"As long as we want to," Naruto said cheekily.

"We'll probably have to leave on another mission in a week or two," Sakura said. "But who knows, if these rebellions stop we might not need to."

"I never thought I'd see the day when Konoha had to be putting down revolts inside its own territory," Teuchi said solemnly. "I guess its just human nature. No matter how benevolent the Hokages have been for all these years everyone is still eager to hate us for our prosperity and influence."

"There will be time to repair our relations with the other nations once Orochimaru is defeated," Naruto said simply.

Teuchi just nodded and from there the conversation steered away from "business" to more jovial topics. Teuchi told them about how several students in the academy liked to visit his stand to hear stories about what the Toad Master Sannin was like back when he ate his every meal at the humble little stand.

"Come on," Naruto said, once they were finished eating, "Let's go watch the night fall."

"Sure," Sakura said warmly. It only required a little surge of chakra for ninja of their class to propel themselves to blindingly fast speeds.

"How did you find this spot anyway?" Sakura asked once they arrived. They were seated on top of the Hokage monument overlooking the village.

"I was pulling a prank one time and hid up here all night," Naruto replied sheepishly.

"We've come a long way since then," Sakura said thoughtfully.

"I'm finally close to becoming Hokage," Naruto said, his hand going to the necklace Tsunade had given him on a bet once. Sakura smiled. She had already known this from the moment that she found out he had become a Sannin. Whenever possible Sannin were typically given first choice on the position and she knew that she didn't want the job.

"It's funny really," Sakura said. "I had no ambition to be a Sannin or any such thing, but at some point your dream sort of became mine too."

"You want to be Hokage too?" Naruto asked, startled.

"No, silly," Sakura said teasingly as she looked away from Naruto into the evening sky, "I want to protect this village and the people who live in it, especially _my_ important people, even if they can usually protect themselves."

"I know," Naruto replied, and then changed the subject again. "I forgot how nice it is up here. I could stay all night."

"Me too," Sakura agreed. They didn't have to be anywhere they didn't want to be; just another perk of being ranked with the title of Sannin.

AN: Well, I don't know precisely why this little story came to mind, but I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Also, keep in mind that the part of the story that falls between the flashback (10 days prior in the timeline of this story) is a true flashback, not Tsunade reading Naruto's report, though she got most of the information that was in the flashback since the report told the flashback from Naruto's perspective. Tsunade didn't get any of the Jonin commander's thoughts though, for example. Hopefully it wasn't confusing, especially with the explanation. Thanks for reading and reviewing, if you take the time to do so it is appreciated.


	4. The Iron Rose

Chapter 4 – The Iron Rose

Haruno Sakura found herself feeling particularly young, invigorated, and happy as she walked down the streets of Konoha unencumbered by any responsibility for the day. Except for ghastly visions of green jumpsuits she might even have compared her attitude to something approaching the endless energy filled moods Lee or his "youthful" master Gai typically exhibited.

Her goal on this morning was the small building that housed the flower business run by her longtime friend Ino. The Yamanaka flower shop seemed locked in a state of suspension in many ways since it neither grew nor shrank noticeably as a business enterprise. From what Sakura could tell it was completely unchanged except that the size of its main attendant had gone from chibi to adult.

"Why hello Sakura-_sama,_" Ino said teasingly when Sakura entered the shop. "What brings you down here?"

"Do I really need a reason to come see my best friend Ino-chan?" Sakura asked brightly.

"Of course not, especially if you bring some gossip," Ino replied.

"Shouldn't I be asking you for gossip?" Sakura said. "I've been out in the field almost constantly you know."

"Konoha has been peaceful and quiet," Ino said exasperatedly. "In other words, it's been boring. I want to hear about all those rumors that trickle in from outside the walls from someone with an unlimited security clearance."

"Special Jounin Yamanaka doesn't know something?" Sakura teased. Ino's specialty was, of course, espionage, though most of the time she was utilized for her formidable mental techniques in combat.

"Don't make me look around that dusty head of yours," Ino replied, grinning. "It's taken me this long to get over the Chunin exams."

"I'm afraid that it's a lot less interesting up here than you might think," Sakura said, tapping her forehead with a single finger. "We haven't had a truly challenging mission in quite a while."

Ino crinkled up her nose at that. She had developed a greater interest in all things shinobi since achieving Jounin status. Possibly as a side effect to her information gathering techniques Ino had become eager to hear the details of ninja missions in general and of her friend's exploits as a Sannin in particular.

"Fine, don't tell me anything," Ino said, giving a mock pout. "I guess I could close up the shop for a while so that we could go shopping, for old time's sake."

"Still the same Ino," Sakura said, laughing.

"Still the same Sakura," Ino echoed a few minutes later. They had stopped in a small clothing boutique that the pair had often frequented as young girls.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked indignantly. "This would be very flattering."

"You may have gotten a slight edge on me in ninjutsu, but I'm afraid you're hopelessly behind when it comes to being a woman," Ino replied cheekily. She snatched the casual dress from Sakura's hands and switched it with another smaller garment.

"I can't wear that," Sakura said. The cut on the dress was _entirely_ to low and short in all the wrong places to suit her. "When would I wear that?"

"I suppose you might need to lose a few pounds first," Ino said.

"What was that Ino-_pig_?" Sakura asked, fist clenched as her old childhood habit reasserted itself.

"I'm trying to help you out Billboard Brow," Ino retorted. "We both know you've only got a one note fashion sense and that one's flat."

Sakura and Ino spent the next ten minutes yelling at each other before parting in a huff, but inwardly both of them felt that old sense of closeness renewing itself as a result of what amounted to a ritual of their friendship.

Sakura looked off toward the large central building that housed the Hokage's office and decided that it was probably about time for her to head over. Naruto should already be there discussing some village matter with the advisors or else sitting around with Jiraiya pretending to work.

"Hello Sakura-chan," a soft voice called out from behind her as she turned down one of the main streets. Sakura whirled around with surprise that she hadn't noticed the presence of the person before they called out to her.

"Hinata-chan," Sakura replied in greeting. "How have you been?"

"I have been well, thank you for asking," Hinata said cheerfully. "It's been so long since I had time to just take a walk, I'm glad we had a chance to meet again outside of business."

Sakura nodded, idly chatting with the Hyuga head as they walked slowly toward the Hokage's office complex. Hinata's father had begun to wane in health and power during the last few years and as a result the shy Hinata had gradually taken over the clan. Her beauty combined with her efforts in remaking the clan in her own image had been so shocking as to earn her the name "Iron Rose," amongst some of Konoha's denizens. Now that she was almost completely in control of the Hyuga it was rumored that she had abolished the caged bird seal, but no one really knew for sure since the seal couldn't be removed from those who already possessed one.

"So, how is Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. Sakura's mind was abruptly dislodged from her mental assessment of Hinata's accomplishments by that question.

"Ah, he's the same as ever, you know him," Sakura said, tacking on a small laugh at the end. "He's been occupying himself with seals and the fringe arts."

"Then he is still hunting for _him_," Hinata said.

"We both are," Sakura added. "Naruto will never give up against something he sees as such an injustice."

"I expected that from the person I admire most," Hinata said, smiling slightly at Sakura. "It's good to know he hasn't changed."

Sakura looked at her, unsure of what to say, but before she was forced to respond Hinata continued of her own accord.

"I remember watching Naruto-kun struggle against his fate when we were young," she said. "I thought maybe that…maybe if he didn't give up that I shouldn't either…you know? I promised myself that I would undo my great injustice like he works to undo his."

Sakura stole a quick glance at the lavender haired young woman walking along beside her and felt a great deal of respect for her mixed with a little envy. Hinata had grown into the one of the most beautiful kunoichi in Konoha and her deadliness in combat was surprising considering her weak beginnings, though in terms of sheer power Sakura exceeded her handedly. Of course, Sakura's power was almost manly in its style that emphasized brute force while Hinata's Gentle Fist techniques were something of art. Sakura quickly crossed her arms over her chest and banished such pointless thoughts.

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan, I rambled on for a while there," Hinata said, some of her old shyness emerging slightly.

"Don't worry about it Hinata-chan," Sakura said brightly. "I know Naruto-kun has had an impact on many people's lives, that's why I-"

"Oi, Sakura-nee-chan," someone shouted. For the second time Sakura found herself surprised that she had failed to notice someone's presence.

"Konohamaru-kun," Sakura said. The grandson of the Third had become a rather close acquaintance with her via his connections to Naruto. Moegi and Udon ran up close behind their "leader." Konohamaru and Moegi had made it to Chunin status, but Udon was still a Genin because he had missed the final part of the exam for some reason Sakura wasn't quite sure of.

"Say, nee-chan, do you know where Naruto-sensei is?" Konohamaru asked. "He was supposed to teach us some taijutsu moves to help us reach Jounin faster."

"Well, I'm actually looking for him right now," Sakura said.

"This is great though nee-chan," Moegi said eagerly. "Can you show us some techniques too?"

"Hey, yeah, we'll get training from two Sannin," Konohamaru said. Sakura smiled at their praise and nodded her head.

"I guess it couldn't hurt for a while," she said. Together, the five of them made the rest of the short trip to the Hokage's office only to find Tsunade and Naruto standing on the edge of the roof looking down over the village.

"What are you two doing up there?" Sakura yelled.

"Ah, well, we were looking out over the village to increase our inspiration," Naruto said lamely. Tsunade's left hand dipped behind her back quickly, but not fast enough to prevent Sakura to see what she was holding.

"Was that sake?" the pink haired girl yelled. "Are you two slacking off again?"

"I'll leave this to you Naruto," Tsunade said.

"What? Wait!" Naruto protested as the aging blonde leapt away from the edge of the roof.

"You need more training in dispute resolution," Tsunade said, her voice trailing off as she disappeared back inside.

"Still the same Naruto," Hinata said with a chuckle as the whisker faced young man leapt down into the midst of the little group that had come searching for him.

"Hi Sakura-chan," Naruto said happily before acknowledging the presence of everyone else.

"Did you forget your promise to train me today?" Konohamaru asked accusingly.

"No, no, nothing like that," Naruto said. "I even reserved one of the training grounds and everything."

"Then let's hurry up and go already," Sakura said.

"You're coming too?" Naruto asked, somewhat surprised.

"Of course, they requested that I train them personally, right guys?" Sakura said flippantly.

"You told them that you're better than me in taijutsu didn't you?" Naruto said teasingly.

"No, but now that you mention it," Sakura said. She laughed as Naruto went into his competitive mode.

"Actually," Hinata interrupted before Naruto could reply, "I wonder which of you is stronger as a ninja. You're both Sannin, right?"

"Of course its leader-sensei," Konohamaru said indignantly. There was no way anyone could defeat Naruto in his eyes.

"Nee-chan is probably stronger," Moegi replied as if it were a matter of fact. "Even though Naruto-kun has more chakra and techniques, nee-chan's medical skills can disable them easily."

"Just because you can use that stuff against me and Udon doesn't mean that Naruto-sensei would be beaten like that, right boss?" Konohamaru said.

Sakura half expected him to brag about himself like he always used to so his response was somewhat surprising.

"Well, I am better at ninjutsu, but Sakura-chan is better at genjutsu," Naruto said. "We're both probably about equal at taijutsu, though our techniques are much different and Sakura-chan has a lot more strength than I do."

"Anyway, that isn't the point, you three wanted training didn't you?" Sakura asked. Everyone had been so busy talking they didn't even realize that they had arrived at the training grounds until Sakura began putting on her gloves and Naruto zipped up his jacket so its folds wouldn't get in his way.

"Go easy on me would you Sakura-chan," Naruto said as the two of them moved out a little distance from the observers so that their spar would be uninterrupted.

"Of course," Sakura replied, "The whole point is for them to be able to follow and analyze our technique."

"Hey, Hinata-san, who do you think will win?" Moegi asked. Hinata's pale eyes glanced back and forth between the pair. Sakura was smiling and laughing slightly at something Naruto was saying as they got into their opening stances.

"I think they've both already won," she said, smiling at the young Chunin. "Now pay attention. Ninja like the Sannin are rarely so free with their skill."

"But they aren't doing any…" Moegi said, her voice cutting off when Sakura's hands flickered with chakra enhanced speed.

Naruto dodged her first two moves and then began to slowly, almost casually, block Sakura's blows with a speed that seemed far inferior to his pink haired opponent.

"Byakugan," Hinata said softly. The veins around her eyes bulged as she focused in on their battle.

"Amazing," Udon said as Naruto leapt back, his feet barely leaving the ground, as he continued to evade Sakura.

"He's reading her," Hinata said. "Even without a doujutsu he's using his chakra reserves to boost his eye's ability to keep up with her movements."

Of course, Hinata knew that they were both deliberately slowing down their movements so that their young observers could see how they fought and she had to admit that it was quite impressive. Through the power of the Byakugan Hinata could tell that Sakura wasn't pooling nearly as much chakra in her arms as she normally did when utilizing her monstrous strength, but her style still emphasized landing a multitude of blows. This made sense for her because the chakra in her arms didn't expend itself unless she actually hit something and any hit, regardless of pinpoint accuracy, was sure to do significant damage.

Naruto on the other hand was nearly the opposite. He relied on a strategy that depended on speed and evasion whilst he waited for the right moment to inflict attrition damage on his opponent. With his huge chakra reserves he could outlast even the strongest most skilled opponent, even one more skilled than him, if he managed to keep all other things equal. Regardless, beyond strategy the specific tactics the two Sannin used was staggeringly diverse and rapidly shifting from one style to the next.

Sakura felt sweat begin to break out on her forehead as she concentrated on Naruto's movements. Each swing of his leg, each jabbing blow of his fist, all of them were methodically executed with the design of opening up holes in her defenses. He was also blocking her attacks in ways that were highly unrealistic in a real battle. Normally her superior strength would be shattering bones if they intruded in the path of her fists like he was doing.

Even though they were sparring for the benefit of their young friends Sakura began to feel annoyance creep into the back of her mind as Naruto continued to press her in his demonstration of the various arts. More than that, she was getting frustrated at being unable to work towards a decisive outcome, regardless of the fact that she was merely fighting a spar. With a charka enhanced shove Sakura put a considerable amount of distance between herself and the blonde haired Sannin.

"Naruto-kun, that's enough," Sakura said.

"Hey, we want to see some more," Konohamaru said, complainingly.

"They've seen enough of those techniques at that beginner's level," Sakura continued, ignoring the Third's young grandson. "Now they need to see them at full power so that they can grasp their true potential, don't you think?"

"All right," Naruto agreed, not liking what the look in Sakura's eye boded for the prospects of his pain free existence. "But it's going to be hard for me to fight your full powered taijutsu without my techniques."

"I don't want to hear any complaints from someone with your ambition," Sakura replied as she lunged toward him with superb speed.

Naruto dropped into a crouch directly beneath her first punch and then tried to deliver an uppercut in retaliation, but Sakura had already lurched backwards on an impossibly flexible spine. Her leg came up and tried to slam down on Naruto who dodged it at the last second. Sakura's blow still landed on the ground, however, and Naruto was caught up in the flying debris that erupted from the shattered dirt. Despite the unsteady quaking ground beneath his feet Naruto shifted his momentum to drive a counterattack to Sakura's torso.

His nimble pink haired opponent was having none of though. She bent backwards to evade his fist and slammed her foot into Naruto's exposed chest sending him flying through a large tree. The shower of splinters and dirt had not even started settling when a dark blur emerged to engage her at close combat again as if nothing had happened.

Sakura pooled chakra in her fists and began delivering short powerful jabs. Each jab was followed by a swifter attack until her fists began to blur under the speed that her taijutsu style enabled her to perform. Naruto seemed to stumble over the broken ground beneath their feet as Sakura wound up to deliver a full powered hammer blow to his torso.

"_You're mine,_" she thought triumphantly when Naruto's forearms rose to form an impromptu shield between her attack and his vulnerable body. Her fist connected solidly and for an instant Sakura was worried that the rest of her day would be involved with reattaching his shattered bones. She need not have been concerned.

The observers had to brace themselves against the waves of destructive chakra that had swept across the training field from the force of Sakura's blow. The whipping winds from the shockwave thus nearly caused them to miss Naruto's counter attack. Instead of falling away with pulverized bones he had somehow escaped unharmed and in a perfect position to dive under Sakura's overextended arm. Sakura's mouth opened involuntarily as the wind was pounded from her lungs by a rapid succession of chakra enhanced blows to her exposed torso.

Sakura leapt back quickly, realizing that she couldn't take that kind of punishment for very long without being at a huge disadvantage. She eyed Naruto closely while she healed the damage he had inflicted and realized that his thwarting of her attack had been the result of those funny metal strips that lined his forearms. Having only ever seen him use them to stop bladed weapons Sakura hadn't considered that they could be charged with chakra to resist blunt force attacks too.

"That isn't helpful to them," Sakura chided. "They'll never have enough chakra to use those guards like that Naruto."

"They'll never have the precise control necessary to deliver a punch like yours either," Naruto shot back, grinning.

Sakura bent her legs and jumped horizontally toward Naruto's position, her arms whipping slightly as she began to execute a hidden medical technique. The purpose of the spar was quickly escaping her mind, replaced by an overriding desire to win. Naruto slapped her open palm away, confused, but then wary when a few of her rapid thrusts began to slip through his defenses.

"Hey, no fair, you're using a technique," Naruto said. He bounded away, his arms hanging loosely at his side. He had felt this kind of beneath the surface damage before when he had been on the mission to recruit Tsunade all those years ago.

"Sorry Naruto-kun, but that was purely taijutsu," Sakura replied. "I didn't use any chakra at all, I just hit the points where your nerves are most exposed and disrupted their control with that pressure."

Naruto grimaced as Sakura flitted away with a burst of speed and closed in on his position. His spectacular healing abilities wouldn't allow her damage to stand for long, but he knew that with her strength and knowledge that he might lose even in those few moments before the repairs were complete. He waited until the last second before delivering a kick aimed at Sakura's side. She predictably knocked it away which had the effect of causing Naruto to spin on the heel of the foot that had remained on the ground.

The kick that actually landed on Sakura was therefore charged up with the momentum of her own fearsome strength. The dull thud of impact reverberated across the training field as she was sent flying, but there was no follow up sound of a crash. Sakura adjusted her trajectory in midair and sprang toward another attack just as Naruto's fist came up to oppose hers.

"She looks so happy," Hinata remarked. Indeed, she couldn't help but marvel at the joyous expression on the pink haired Sannin's face as her fist collided with Naruto's and unleashed another shockwave of excess chakra. After trading several high powered blows both decided to disengage at the same time, though it appeared to be for different reasons.

"Your chakra reserves are insane Naruto," Sakura shouted with frustration. In order to enhance his strength enough to keep up with hers, even for a limited time, Naruto had to be very nearly burning through more power than Sakura had in her entire body.

"Your control is even more insane," Naruto retorted. His healing powers had fully kicked in, but it was all that they could do to repair the damage that her blows were inflicting despite the amount of chakra he was using to keep up with her taijutsu. It was at this time that he noticed the presence of several other ninja and even some villagers who had appeared to see what the commotion was all about.

"Naruto-kun, let's hurry up and end this," Sakura said. She had sensed the new arrivals too apparently. "What's say we start using techniques now?"

"Whatever you want to do Sakura-chan," Naruto replied.

"But no summoning," Sakura added warningly. "We've already changed the landscape around here enough without that."

"Fine, I won't summon the frog boss," Naruto replied easily.

"I don't want to see those little frogs you use either," Sakura said.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said, drawing out the "chan" with a pout. "All right, if you insist."

As if by silent signal both ninja began to move their hands with blurring rapidity to complete the necessary seals for whatever techniques they intended to use. At the completion of his series of seals Naruto bit his thumb in preparation for what he knew would be a necessary defense against Sakura.

"Genjutsu," Hinata said softly as the world around them began to spiral into a chakra contrived fantasy. With her eyes she was still at a loss to completely see through what was going on and the other people caught up in the technique were hopelessly lost. "Sakura-chan is a once in a generation genius and Naruto-kun was always terrible at illusions."

"Naruto-kun," Konohamaru said, his voice seeped with anxiety.

"What are you guys worrying about?" a new voice asked from behind them. The little group and several of the other onlookers that had gathered were startled to see Jiraiya standing there calmly with Tsunade at his side. "Naruto might not have the eyes to see through that technique, but he knows where to get them."

Sakura smiled devilishly as Naruto was drawn deeper and deeper into her complex technique. The very earth seemed to swell up and cling to his limbs like some nightmarish monster of muddy goop. Naruto was shivering uncontrollably from the sensations of the frigid mass that threatened to engulf his entire body. Sakura could practically taste his vulnerability and decided that the time was right to make her appearance.

"Poor Naruto-kun," she said. Her body began to take shape from the ooze so as to squeeze Naruto further until her face was brought squarely in front of his. "You never could handle illusions could you?"

Naruto's eyes opened suddenly to reveal dark blue pupils that had swollen to unnatural size such that they now made up his entire eyes. Sakura gasped with shock when they blinked horizontally a second before Naruto's body melted away into the same goop that Sakura's body was materializing from. A large rough tongue slithered out of no where and encompassed Sakura like some kind of massive serpent.

"Oh Tsunade-hime, are you ready to admit it yet?" Jiraiya asked boisterously.

"Heh, you're even more delusional than usual," Tsunade replied. "Just wait for it."

Naruto's tongue contracted and Sakura exploded in damp earth as she dispelled the illusion at the same time.

"Look's like they're going to have to do things the hard way after all," Jiraiya said. Naruto meanwhile had begun to shed his bizarre appearance which actually included an incredibly long tongue and huge blue eyes.

Sakura charged, her chakra scalpels extended for their use as skewering claws, hoping to beset him before he was prepared. Her first slash caused the earth clone to break apart and fall to the ground an instant before her second slash furiously defended against Naruto's projectile technique.

Naruto staggered back when his next attack hit Sakura squarely only to cause her to melt away and alert him to her presence closing in on his left. Unlike swords her chakra claws would not be easily deterred by the metal guards on his forearms. Getting hit by those would only serve to sap his chakra and his tenant's healing abilities.

"_That technique is going to be a pain,_" Sakura thought to herself when Naruto formed one of his iconic spiraling spheres in each hand. They traded blows for a few moments, chakra clashing against chakra, and only succeeded in breaking each other's technique. The ground beneath them was being churned up by the immense waves of cutting chakra that was being flung away from their position.

Naruto blew out a bit of burning chakra onto his finger to use as a lighter before inhaling deeply while calling on his connection to the frog boss. Sakura barely had time to dodge the massive flame that was produced when he lit the thick oil spray coming from his mouth. Naruto was forced to cut his attack off short when dozens of thin pink needles that had previously been Sakura's hair flew at him.

Sakura leaned forward and her hair fanned out again as she sent another stream of hair-needles racing toward him. Her hands worked quickly through a new set of seals as she ran. At the end of the last seal Sakura's hands glowed with a new type of chakra scalpel that combined her operation techniques with her thicker combat techniques. Naruto backed away cautiously after receiving a half dozen slapping attacks that left his internals a torn chakra draining wreck.

Naruto was breathing heavily, but Sakura knew from watching him work for so long that he was far from defeated. She didn't need a medical technique to know that the damage she had inflicted on him was being repaired with every second that he evaded her reach. That he had a deep bag of ninjutsu left to delve into was a given as well. Sakura knew there was no way to match him technique for technique, but there were other ways.

"Now I'm going to take away those techniques you're so dependant on," Sakura proclaimed.

"You know that whatever you do won't last," Naruto replied wearily. Sakura approached him rapidly anyway tossing kunai at him, some of them with exploding tags attached, which forced him to dance backwards to avoid taking even more damage.

"Remember what you promised Jiraiya," Tsunade said, prodding her old teammate as her one time apprentice closed in on his. "All I can drink for a month."

"A month?" Jiraiya repeated incredulously. "I said a week. What, do you want to die hime? Even you can't take that much for a month."

Sakura's fist sent Naruto plowing into the ground, his limbs twisting uncomfortably. Her torso swelled out considerably for an instant before she pushed her stomach back in to complete the technique. Naruto's right arm was instantly plastered to his back by the thick wad of sticky glue-like paste that Sakura could call on thanks to her connection with the slugs.

"Try getting out of that straight jacket," Sakura said. She grinned with self satisfaction as Naruto barely managed to scamper away from her foot slamming into the ground in what would have been a match finishing attack had it connected.

Naruto contemplated the paste that had snugly secured his right arm and began to think of ways out of it. He didn't dare use a spiraling sphere since it would likely catch the rest of his body up in its maelstrom of chakra. It couldn't be cut off and the techniques he could think of that would be effective needed both hands to execute. Naruto sighed and began to concentrate chakra. Prepared or not, it was now or never.

"No way," Sakura said, impressed despite herself as Naruto began expending a large amount of chakra whilst forming seals with one hand. One handed seals were quite difficult, especially when used in conjunction with powerful moves. The more chakra used the more difficult one handed seals became.

The paste that was impeding Naruto began to hiss and melt away under the influence of his jutsu, but for the life of her Sakura couldn't tell what he was doing. Still, at this rate he would be back at full strength so she had little choice but to attack as quickly as possible. A few more blows using her massive strength should clinch the match in her favor. Sakura charged forward and delivered a sharp full powered blow to his torso, but instead of Naruto being the only one damaged she felt a stinging pain too.

Sakura couldn't help but let out a little whimper of pain as she leapt back from the powerful acid that Naruto had covered his body with to eat away her slug adhesive. A quick healing jutsu nullified the substance and restored the damage to her skin, but doing so had further drained her already depleted reserves.

"They're running out of things they can do to each other that won't be instantly fatal," Tsunade said. Sakura had taken out a sort of metal glove that was actually just a robust set of hollow tipped claws designed to deliver injections in combat. She stuck one pointy finger at a time into her mouth to fill their reserves with whatever slug compound she was manufacturing from inside her body.

Naruto's hands flashed through a series of seals which caused his hair to grow hard, spiky, and long enough to wrap his entire body in a protective cocoon. More seals were formed and the ground began to swirl around him until a dragon head rose from the earth. It coiled around Naruto tightly to form a secondary defense and then opened its mouth to spit out a hail of rocky spikes at Sakura's motionless form.

"_Genjutsu?!_" Naruto thought as "Sakura" broke into mist and dispersed when the earthen spikes impaled her. His eyes blinked as they morphed back into the huge blue spheres that the frogs had bestowed upon him for the purpose of seeing through illusions.

"That won't work a second time," Sakura said, her voice coming from everywhere and no where all at the same time. Her hands blossomed from Naruto's chest and sank their needle tips into his neck. "Even with your ability, you'll be paralyzed any second now."

"Hah! Time to pay up Jiraiya," Tsunade said gleefully.

"You've got to be kidding me," Jiraiya said loudly. He didn't want to admit that they'd both been fighting their hardest. "It wasn't a fair match. Its obvious he went easy on pinky."

"Um…I think it isn't over yet," Hinata said softly, interrupting the antics of the two elder Sannin.

Sure enough, Naruto's hands were still flashing rapidly through seals during the few moments while Sakura's poison was still trying to take effect. Even as his other techniques were falling apart he managed to mold enough chakra for two final moves.

"W-What is this?" Sakura asked with alarm. A giant pair of claws molded from red chakra had emerged from Naruto's body and clamped down on Sakura to hold her in place.

"Demon hands, but with my own special twist," Naruto replied. He inhaled deeply as the red fox claws held the struggling Sakura and blew a fine mist into her face until she had no choice but to breathe the vapor in. "The slugs aren't the only ones who can create paralyzing toxins."

"And what are you so happy about?" Tsunade asked grumpily as their two young counterparts fell over in paralysis. Jiraiya had begun celebrating the instant that the tie finish to the match became apparent. "The bet was whether Naruto would win wasn't it?"

"Eh?" Jiraiya said, nearly tripping. They were walking out to where their one time apprentices were laying. "Hime, surely you wouldn't be so cruel."

"I should have known that you wouldn't be able to keep your word, even over something so simple," Tsnuade replied, sighing dramatically.

"Fine, fine, I'll take you drinking as much as you like," Jiraiya said. At least he'd get to spend some time with his favorite hime, even if it would be mostly filled with him keeping her from demolishing something.

"Are you two satisfied?" Tsunade asked as her hands glowing while she worked to remove the agents that were causing paralysis from their systems.

"Yes, yes, sorry Tsunade-baa-chan," Naruto said sheepishly.

"That was awesome Naurto-sensei," Konohamaru said excitedly. The small crowd that had gathered had already mostly dispersed. "I just wish you hadn't gone easy on her."

"It wasn't like that, really," Naruto replied, waving his hands a bit for emphasis.

"Of course it wasn't," Sakura said. Konohamaru nervously took a step back as she loomed over him menacingly. "Naruto-kun knows I'd never forgive him if he went easy on me. Isn't that right Naruto-kun?"

"Right," Naruto agreed. Sakura's dangerous mood passed away as quickly as it had come on. Before anyone could move Sakura turned and kissed Naruto fleetingly, her soft full lips brushing up against his own like silk trailing across one's fingertips.

Hinata giggled uncontrollably at the expressions on the faces of the other ninja present, especially those of Jiraiya and Konohamaru, as the two young Sannin walked away together talking merrily.

"Well Jiraiya, it looks like your apprentice could teach you some things now," Tsunade said. "In life and as a ninja."

"That was uncalled for hime," Jiraiya said with exaggerated depression as the laughter just got louder.

* * *

Thanks for reading and reviewing. As usual I write these as the notion takes me and make no promises on when anything new will be forthcoming. 


	5. Akatsuki’s Pawn

Chapter 5 – Akatsuki's Pawn

"Are you sure you have time to be doing this Sakura-chan?" Kabuto asked. Despite his complete concentration on running away as nimbly as possible from the irate Sannin he had still received several glancing blows resulting in substantial damage to his body. Unlike the aging and at the time handicapped Tsunade, his current opponent was at the peek of her prime and far beyond his ability to even run away from reliably.

"Trust me, this isn't going to take much longer," Sakura replied. "Although, if you told me where Orochimaru's new base is I might forget about you for a few minutes."

"You shouldn't be so carefree," Kabuto said calmly as another head wound began to pour blood down his face. "You new Sannin are entirely too arrogant. I suspect Naruto-kun is learning that lesson very well right now."

"Him learn a lesson from a simple missing nin?" Sakura scoffed.

"Did you seriously think that Orochimaru-sama would be keeping tabs on an ordinary person?" Kabuto retorted.

"Of course, that abominable a man is constantly searching for hosts," Sakura replied.

"Which is why I said you children are too arrogant," Kabuto repeated. "The man I was following is a traitor to the Rock named Atsushi. He recently joined Akatsuki."

Sakura sprang back from her close pursuit of Orochimaru's most loyal henchman and weighed her options quickly. There was a good chance that Kabuto was deceiving her, but if not then Naruto was facing a ninja good enough to become a member of Akatsuki. Such a match up was one of the worst possible for Naruto because of the liability he carried as a result of that organization's vast knowledge about the tailed demons.

Kabuto's smile turned to a wince of pain, but he was still quite relieved that the pink haired predator decided to let him slip by one more time. Even better, regardless of whether Akatsuki lost its newest member or the Sannin decreased by one, Orochimaru would be very pleased indeed.

Sakura strained to cover all the distance that she had put between herself and Naruto since the tip they had been following led them to the location where Kabuto had been shadowing the now identified former Rock ninja. Her anxiety increased when she felt immense amounts of chakra being expended from the position where she had left Naruto. A large section of the forest had been reduced to a twisted smoking wreck that only became more damaged the closer she got until there was nothing more than a great clearing burned down to fine powder and dust.

"Neji, what happened," Sakura asked when she spotted the injured form of the Hyuga that had accompanied them on their information gathering mission. "Where's Naruto?"

"He saved me," Neji replied, coughing. With considerable exertion he activated his Byakugan while Sakura healed him as much as she could and helped him stand up. His finger pointed. "There, he's just below the surface."

Sakura worked rapidly and deliberately to get Neji into a position where she could continue to monitor him before digging into Naruto's location. Even though her heart was trying to pry its way out of her throat as a result of the chafing delay her medical training insisted in doing things properly.

"Neji, tell me everything that happened," Sakura said again, this time with more urgency as she began brushing away the soil where Neji had indicated Naruto was buried. "I need to know exactly what kinds of techniques were used on him."

"Mostly blunt trauma," Neji began. Sakura's sharp gasp cut him off. Even a medical nin as experienced as she couldn't help but feel physical revulsion at the state Naruto was in.

"Naruto," Sakura said emotionally. He was covered with severe burns over almost all of his body. His clothes had been scorched so badly that even the fire resistant material had melted into his skin. Only the shallow movement of his chest prevented Sakura from breaking down entirely at the sight.

"And fire," Neji whispered unnecessarily. He pursed his lips, unsure of what he should do or even feel as Sakura frantically began pumping wave after wave of healing chakra into Naruto's torso.

"What happened!?" Sakura demanded loudly, her voice nearly breaking.

"His opponent was some guy named Atsushi," Neji said softly. "I thought we had taken him by surprise."

"_Sakura-chan, you take Kabuto," Naruto said. Even though he could fight against medical ninja techniques Sakura was a more overpowering match against the former spy. "We'll see what's so great about this guy he was shadowing."_

_Naruto and Neji proceeded to take up stealthy positions overlooking a small clearing in the underbrush where the missing nin had made his camp. It appeared to be a mature camp, which meant that the man had likely been there for several days doing something. Neji analyzed the situation with his Byakugan and motioned to Naruto that he was going to go in for a surgical attack. Naruto looked unsure, but after a moment of hesitation nodded for him to go ahead. The Hyuga fighting style that enabled him to disable chakra utilization should have made short work of their opponent._

_Neji dropped down next to the burly Rock ninja and rapidly delivered dozens of pinpoint blows. He had just completed his attack when a large beefy arm swung around and sent him sprawling into a nearby tree._

"_Punk, what do you think you're doing so suddenly?" his deep voice asked. In a flash he pounced, his speed much greater than anything one would have expected from a person so short and stout, pummeling Neji with several short sharp blows. Without warning Naruto's leg flew in from the side and connected with his chin._

"_Ah, I was wondering when you'd come out," he said. "I've been waiting to meet you."_

"_What do you think you're doing so close to Konoha?" Naruto demanded. _

"_Allow me to introduce myself," he drawled. "The name's Atsushi."_

"_You were a member of the Rock's elite home guard," Naruto said. "What do you want here?"_

"_You heard of me? I'm flattered," Atsushi replied. "As for what I want, I'm just here to tell you that Itachi says "hello." Oh, and I've got business with that fox you're carrying around too, if you'd be so kind."_

"_So Akatsuki is recruiting again," Naruto said dryly. "I guess you know I can't let you leave this place alive, right?"_

_Atsushi stretched lazily, his movements causing a thin outer skin of hard rock that had been damaged in protecting his chakra circulatory system from Neji to peel off of him only to be replaced by more. The rock and soil kept collecting until he was covered completely with a very tough shell bristling with razor sharp edges. _

"Naruto, you've got to hold on," Sakura said desperately. She had strengthened some of his internal organs, but none of his wounds were healing. Even worse, she couldn't find any of his red chakra anywhere and he seemed to somehow be resistant to her healing techniques.

Neji noticed that Naruto was in even worse shape than he had first believed. Now that he was above ground the Hyuga prodigy could see that two of Naruto's limbs were twisted at odd angles denoting multiple fractures.

_Neji tried to leap back into the battle only to receive a series of devastating blows that left him barely able to move and undoubtedly bleeding from wounds both internal and external. _

"_Stay back," Naruto said. His hands were flashing through seals as he tried to counter the powerful earth techniques that Atsushi was employing against them. Wind and water chakra merged together with fire to blast the bulky missing nin with a jet of steam that should have blistered skin. Instead he nimbly avoided most of it and absorbed what hot vapor managed to land on him._

"_Even lightening can't pierce this armor," Atsushi said boastfully. Naruto formed seals and performed his shadow clone technique. Against a heavy hitting guy like this he would need to do some experimentation without having to take every blow himself._

_Clones were destroyed rapidly as Naruto sent in wave after wave in an attempt to find some kind of weakness that he could exploit. Long ago Naruto would have charged in himself, but his experience led him to believe that Atsushi was holding back a few surprises and as such it wouldn't do for Naruto to show his own hand._

_After all of Naruto's clones were gone except for a few the blonde Sannin himself joined in the battle. He had to exert a great deal of chakra to block Atsushi's blunt attacks with the metal strips running along his forearms, though the power behind them were still lesser than one of Sakura's punches. The downside was that Atsushi's armor was composed up of very sharp rocks that dug deep into his flesh every time he blocked a blow. _

_With a burst of chakra and some swift hand movements Naruto danced around Atsushi without getting hit. In the process he managed to attach several exploding tags to the burly man's external coating of rock._

"_Useless," Atsushi intoned self-assuredly as Naruto leapt away and formed a single seal to trigger the tags. Multiple explosions ripped into Atsushi before sweeping a thunderclap of concussive pressure across the battlefield. The dust kicked up by the blast hadn't even begun to dissipate when a rain of shards burst out of it with Atsushi following on the heels of his attack._

_Naruto fell back as the stone ripped through his body an instant before a granite fist slammed fully against his jaw. His belly swelled up unnaturally as he began molding chakra for another attack. There was a hiss and a bellow of pain as toad acid inundated Atsushi's armor where it seeped down through small cracks to his flesh below._

"_Rasengan," Naruto yelled, concentrating as much chakra as possible into the spiraling sphere he held in each hand. The weakened armor of rock protecting Atsushi was shredded rapidly by the tremendous concentration of forces Naruto wielded. The newest Akatsuki member was sent spinning away, his body digging a jagged trench through the ground. _

"Sakura, it isn't working anymore," Neji said forcefully.

"I've got to save him," Sakura replied calmly. She had forced down her emotions in an effort to ensure that her chakra control was flawless.

"But it isn't helping," Neji repeated. "I can see his chakra pathways, they're all still blocked."

"They shouldn't be blocked, I reopened them with my own chakra," Sakura insisted.

"It's a poison," Neji said. "Even you can't stop it like this. You need to get him back to Konoha."

"There's no time," Sakura said sharply.

"Sakura, you've got to take him now or he'll die," Neji yelled.

"Shut up! I won't let him die," Sakura yelled back, her eyes wet.

"_This isn't good," Naruto muttered. Atsushi had gotten himself under control again after climbing back onto his feet and was forming more hand seals._

"_I should've expected this to be necessary against one of Konoha's Sannin," Atsushi said. His bluster was gone, but a cold methodical fury had replaced it. _

_Naruto too formed hand seals as he mixed chakra and inhaled deeply. He bent forward at the waist and blew out a thin stream of white hot flame toward Atsushi's immobile form. For a moment he exulted as the fire washed over his opponent seemingly unopposed, but he quickly realized that the apparent success of his attack was much too convenient against an enemy of Atsushi's ability._

"_You're pretty unlucky kid," Atsushi said. The flames, instead of dying down, seemed to be intensifying and taking shape around Atsushi. "You became my target and then you made me use this technique."_

"_I've heard a thousand ninja threaten me with their ultimate skill," Naruto replied dryly. _

"_This is the last time, I promise," Atsushi said darkly. The rock clinging to him was glowing red now and putting off steam as it began to move like thick syrup. _

_Naruto, realizing that his position was getting worse by the moment, rushed in and attempted to land some more blows, but the heat drove him back. He leapt away, throwing projectiles and elemental techniques as rapidly as possible. Everything melted away with a burst of flame before it could get anywhere near the lava covered man._

"_All your attacks are useless," Atsushi said. "Surrender now and save yourself some pain."_

_Naruto found himself wishing for the first time that he knew some genjutsu instead of merely ways to resist it. Most fire could be overcome, but the mixing of fire and earth chakra in such a manner…_

"_Kekkei genkai," Naruto said flatly as realization struck him._

"_Correct," Atsushi said, his voice rough. The molten rock was flowing freely now all over his body. "I have both an absolute defense and attack in this form."_

"_In this world there are no absolutes," Naruto replied. His hands began to flash rapidly through seals. "I have a sort of blood inheritance limit of my own."_

"_Impossible," Atsushi said wonderingly. Red chakra was boiling out and forming an avatar of a multi-tailed fox over Naruto's body. No one had informed him that this demon container could perform such a feat on purpose by using a technique. _

"I see, he used that technique," Sakura said softly. Neji was startled when she hefted him onto her back effortlessly, securing him there with a wire binding. With great care she picked up Naruto and then leapt away from the battlefield back toward Konoha. "I assume that he was poisoned while in that form, right?"

"Yeah," Neji confirmed. He couldn't see Sakura's face, but he was able to see a bit of moisture falling on Naruto's cheek as they rushed along with all the speed the Slug Sannin could muster.

"_Hidden technique," Naruto said. Four tails of red chakra lashed against the ground. The demon fox was hungry and eager after being locked away for so long. Naruto licked his lips and got ready to charge. "I can't wait to play."_

"_This isn't a game," Naruto growled. Atsushi looked on with amusement as his opponent seemed to argue with himself slightly. Finally Naruto's demeanor changed as his tenant spoke again. "Yes, as you wish Master."_

_Atsushi's once solid armor reached a point of minimum viscosity and in a flash lashed out like an angry monster against Naruto, who was still completing his own technique. Red boiling chakra hissed and bubbled against molten rock. The ground beneath the two titans was vaporized from the intense energies of their techniques clashing. _

_A great claw of red chakra raked ineffectively through the tidal wave of boiling rock that threatened to entirely encompass Naruto's position. A second claw delivered a crushing blow as Naruto tried to get in closer to his adversary. His hands flashed through more seals and two more tails dropped down. _

"_Are you sure your body can handle that?" Atsushi asked. Indeed, it appeared as if the demon charka was beginning to cause some damage to Naruto's body. His healing powers were still successfully repairing the degradation as quickly as it occurred though._

_Whips of glowing liquid stone lashed out only to be met by claws. As more and more tendrils tried to punch through the red chakra to burn down Naruto's body the tails curved around to intercept them. Two more tails dropped and Naruto howled as he struggled to maintain his dominance. _

"_Curse you," Naruto said, his voice changing. "To think you made me get this serious."_

_Neji scrambled back as quickly as he could to avoid the waves of destructive heat and chakra that were washing over the area surrounding the encounter. His eyes could see that this was a very unusual battle indeed. Naruto, to his knowledge, had never used his tenant in such a fashion before and for good reason. In addition to damaging his body the use of such a huge chakra avatar was slowing him down considerably. Against a fast opponent with a lot of chakra and force of will the demon would be swiftly overpowered. Atsushi too was suffering from a loss of speed since he was counting on the speed, range, and power of his ultimate defending attack to win the battle for him. As a result the two of them were perfectly suited to fight each other in those forms without either having a clear advantage._

_Atsushi chakra surged into another attack, the ground around him erupting to add to the onrush of superheated material. _

"_It's like Gaara only worse," Naruto muttered._

"_You've reached your limit haven't you?" Atsushi asked triumphantly._

"_Can't you count?" Naruto roared. He made a final set of seals and the ninth tail dropped._

_The form of the demon fox, which had been merely a hazy representation of chakra, seemed to take on a definite corporeal form. It let out a fierce cry of battle and lunged forward. Nine tails of burning chakra were supplemented by four sharp claws and a mouth full of massive rending teeth. _

"_It's not over yet," Atsushi vowed as Naruto's avatar and his technique annihilated each other. During the intensity of the attack the physical forms of the two ninja were brought within close proximity of each other. Close enough in fact for them to begin exchanging blows within the swirling storm of their collision. _

_Naruto winced visibly when Atsushi managed to latch onto him with his left hand. At that precise moment Neji had seen with his eyes some kind of exotic chakra inhibitor spreading throughout his system. Immediately the well spring of red chakra began to dry up. One by one the tails disappeared until Naruto's avatar evaporated with a concussive shockwave. Atsushi's technique wasn't dispelled, but it was severely diminished as they were tossed apart._

"Hang on," Sakura said pleadingly. She continued to use her free hand to pour revitalizing chakra into Naruto's battered form whist clutching him close to her with her other. "That Kabuto, I'll kill him for this. If only I had been there instead of chasing him."

"Did you forget who that is?" Neji asked softly. "He won't leave you, you know."

"Thanks," Sakura replied gently. "But you can't promise that. Even if it is him, he used all nine tails."

"Just believe in him," Neji said uncomfortably. The great walls of Konoha were on the horizon. If Naruto could just hold on a little longer his chances would magnify significantly.

"I do." Sakura said simply.

"_W-What did you do to me?" Naruto asked, wheezing as his breathing labored under the degrading effects on his body that were no longer being healed._

"_Nothing much," Atsushi replied, also breathing heavily. "I just removed your access to that annoying monster's power."_

"_You're going to regret that," Naruto said. "Now I've got no choice but to use **that** technique."_

"_Oh?" Atsushi replied. "Now who's threatening who with their ultimate technique?"_

_Naruto laughed and smiled painfully at the irony. His hands started flashing through seals rapidly as he carefully planned the best way to get in close enough to deliver the finishing blow._

"_You can't have much chakra left," Atsushi commented. He was rebuilding his fiery armor, though he didn't have enough chakra left to restore it to the state it was in before Naruto's demonic avatar ripped it apart._

"_I have plenty of chakra, just not the right kind," Naruto grumbled. His own chakra was vast, but it couldn't heal him or shield him like the fox's chakra could._

"_Hidden Technique: Stone Manikin: Model Inferno," Atsushi said, focusing his mind and chakra into the remains of his super heated armor. A half-dozen vaguely human shaped creatures emerged from the mass and formed a ring around Atsushi. _

"_Rasengan," Naruto called out. The whirling sphere of chakra emerged in his left hand as he moved in nimbly to engage Atsushi defenders. _

"_Model Razor Spine," Atsushi said. Piles of rubble from the shattered ground became glued together with chakra to supplement the magma soldiers that Naruto's Rasengan was demolishing. _

"_Wind Release," Naruto said, taking it up one notch. The hail of burning rocks was ground to powder along with the cannon fodder of stone puppets that Atsushi kept sending in. _

"_Too fast," Atsushi said. Naruto's form flickered out of his view for a second and another stone manikin fell apart. For the first time he realized that Nartuo was seriously overpowering him, even without his demon power. He pulled out a pill and swallowed it, grimacing as he did so. _

_The ground around him glowed red hot and burst apart into magma to reform Atsushi's ultimate offensive defense. A dozen long thin whips of flame reached out like the tentacles of some deep sea beast and swatted at Naruto._

"_That would be a scary technique if you didn't have such lousy chakra reserves," Naruto taunted. _

"_You can't imagine how much power it takes to maintain," Atsushi replied. His hands formed seals hastily and a cocoon of molten rock settled over him as Naruto began to work his way through the flailing whips of fire. _

_Naruto dodged easily on his approach, his left hand with the Wind Release Rasengan defending whilst he used the opportunity to channel a massive amount of chakra into his right hand. The flexible ropes of flame attacked and bent at predictable angles, plus he was channeling plenty of chakra to disperse the superheated material. _

"_Secret Technique: Flowering Sakura: Model Aegis," Naruto called out. Pink tinted chakra flowed out of his right wrist and formed a circular shield that looked as if it were made out of many tiny cherry blossom petals. It was something that he had devised with the help of Sakura, and named after her, to protect himself from the effects of his own elemental techniques based on the spiraling sphere._

"_Wind Release: Spiraling Shuriken," Naruto said as he emerged, nearly on top of Atsushi position. The large four pointed dome of swirling chakra emerged in full force, its edges churning within the confines of his Sakura Aegis. One more blow and it would be over._

"_You got cocky," Atsushi said sinisterly. All the ropes of flame, which had seemingly been bending and attacking in predictable patterns, suddenly converged on Naruto's position. Worse, the tips of the attacks had cooled into hardened spears of obsidian that pierced through Naruto's defenses easily. Three of the now stiff tendrils applied pressure on Nartuo's left arm in three different directions, snapping it brutally. Another wrapped around one of Naruto's legs before morphing into rock and contracting with enough force to turn bone into powder._

"_So did you," Naruto replied, teeth gritting through the pain. Even as he was run through multiple times he still managed to thrust his right arm with its devastating attack into Atsushi's not so ultimate defense. The magma was blown off of Atsushi's body in an instant, though he tried to dodge. _

_Naruto looked into Atsushi's eyes, which were wide with shock, as his technique ripped the man's body apart and released his control over the large amount of magma that still surrounded them. The combined forces of Naruto's technique and his loss of control resulted in a large fireball that sent out a shockwave decimating the surrounding terrain with scorching heat._

"S-Sakura," Naruto said feebly.

"Naruto, you're awake," Sakura said. "Just stay quiet, don't move, we're almost to the hospital."

Naruto noticed at that point that they had already entered Konoha and were racing along the rooftops with as much speed as Sakura could manage.

"I'm sorry I made you worry," Naruto said, disobeying her. His injuries were far worse than they should have been. "I was careless."

"Naruto," Sakura said, her heart lifting, though she was still very concerned and would be until the poison suppressing his healing abilities was lifted.

"Sakura-sama, is Naruto-sama and Neji-san going to be all right?" An ANBU captain and his squad dropped down in an escorting formation as they neared the hospital.

"I think so," Sakura replied. "But I want you all to be on guard and send someone to inform the Hokage immediately. Konoha needs to go on alert in case Akatsuki tries to finish what it started."

"Naruto-sama was attacked by Akatsuki?" the ANBU repeated, his concern magnifying. They landed together on the roof of the hospital and watched as Sakura rushed inside to begin healing her two charges.

It was some time later before Tsunade was able to make it to the hospital. As soon as she received word about the incident with Akatsuki she had dispatched her home guard to secure the village while she and Jiraiya had scouted the region for high level enemy ninja. With half of their elite attack force out of commission she couldn't even spare herself to go visit her apprentice during the first crucial hours of preventing an infiltration or attack in the chaos of the young Sannin's return.

Fortunately it seemed that for whatever reason Akatsuki had acted with a single agent this time, or perhaps their agent had acted on his own without orders for some reason. Jiraiya would probably uncover the details eventually.

"How is he?" Tsunade asked one of the attendant medical ninja who was stationed outside Naruto's room.

"Sakura-sama's treatment seems successful," the medical ninja replied. "The demon fox had been completely suppressed along with Naruto-sama's ability to access its powers. Once Sakura-sama began the treatment his worst wounds began to disappear though."

"That's a relief," Tsunade said, breathing out.

"Hokage-sama, Sakura-sama asked not to be disturbed," the medical ninja said when Tsunade made a move to enter the room.

"Just a peek won't hurt," Tsunade replied. She looked in and saw Naruto sleeping peacefully. Sakura was in a chair next to him with her arms around him snugly. Her head rested on his chest while she too slept.

"_You've surpassed me in every way now, Sakura-chan,_" Tsunade thought as she watched the two. "_You saved him; you saved the person that I wasn't able to all those years ago._"

AN: I think it's obvious what Tsunade is talking about there on the end so just think about it for a second if you don't get it. (Don't send me messages asking when Tsunade failed to save Naruto, she isn't talking about him) Italic writing is either flashback\Neji's recollection or else someone's inner thoughts; I think it's obvious which is which. I hope this was enjoyable, thanks for reading and of course all reviews are appreciated.


	6. Assassins of Opportunity

Chapter 6 – Assassins of Opportunity

"Hand over anything you have that might identify your village affiliation," Maborosi said. It had taken his squad a day of hard running to reach the border of the Fire Country after their new orders had arrived. Now they stood ready to infiltrate the Leaf, but if their mission failed they couldn't risk the retaliation that would surely come just for what they were about to attempt.

Maborosi watched carefully as his underlings removed their headbands and other distinctive bits of equipment that, while not critical to their current mission, would nonetheless make their village affiliation readily apparent. This would be a dangerous mission for his team, even though their target had a weakness that weakness only served to make this mission possible, not easy.

"The Leaf is soft," Karai replied. Karai was the squad's most lethal fighter, but she always kept a low profile to prevent herself from becoming famous since she believed fame could interfere with a ninja's ability to carry out their duty. "Killing one wounded demon won't be a challenge for us."

"Even the softness of the Leaf has been tempered into a hard edge," Bodai said softly. Bodai was the team's strategist, though he was mostly just observant about human nature.

"I agree with Bodai," Kanmuri said. The fourth member of the squad Kanmuri remained a bit of a mystery even to his teammates. He probably wasn't as strong as Karai, but he was skilled and crafty. A ninja's ninja in all respects of the word and a master of all three ninja arts. "Even though the demon is wounded he will be well guarded by the remaining Sannin."

"The Hokage's first duty is to protect the village. She will be too tied down to interfere," Karai said disdainfully. "The old man is well past his prime and the other Sannin can't win against all of us even in a fair fight."

"By all accounts Konoha's new medical genius is every bit as impressive as her master," Maborosi cautioned. "She passed the Sannin's Trial after all."

"That's hardly a feat," Karai retorted.

"Regardless, we should avoid confronting her if possible," Bodai said calmly. "If anyone discovered that you had defeated a Sannin you would become quite famous after all."

Bodai's point caused Karai to let out of grunt of dissatisfaction, but it ended all protests against avoiding combat by the ninja who valued stealth above all else. Karai hated fame, especially the kind of fame that the Sannin had amassed for themselves. Hailed as heroes or villains, the Sannin were Konoha's shining accomplishment in ninja talent envied by the other hidden villages.

"The three of you will follow my lead," Maborosi said. He valued the input of his team, but in the end he made sure that everyone recognized the chain of command was a straight line ending with him.

With a gesture of his hand Maborosi's team dispersed across the border leading into the core territory of the Leaf. They would move at top speed in tight formation without contacting each other and assuming that they evaded all patrols, a likely occurrence, they would not regroup until they were ready to infiltrate the great walls of their target. A few hours from now the Leaf's burgeoning military power would be cut short and other, worthier villages such as their own would again reclaim the prominence they deserved.

Naruto awoke with a start after what had felt like days of drifting in and out of consciousness. Almost immediately he felt a slight pressure on his chest which he noticed was caused by Sakura's head resting there with her pink locks scattered in every direction. His movements must have jarred her because she began to stir slightly.

"Naruto, are you really awake?" Sakura asked as she sat up sleepily. As the situation became clear to her she began running her hands across Naruto's chest an inch or two above him so as to best utilize her medical techniques in assessing his condition and aiding his recovery with finely tuned chakra.

"S-Sakura," Naruto mumbled in reply. As his memories came rushing back he realized that he was in Konoha's hospital. "You saved me Sakura. Thank you-"

The soft press of Sakura's lips against his own silenced whatever else he was going to say. For a long moment they remained still and quiet as they basked in each other's presence.

"Baka, what are you thanking me for," Sakura replied. "If you weren't out there for everyone else…for me…then you wouldn't get into such situations. I'm the one that should be thanking you."

"You know you never have to thank me for anything Sakura-chan," Naruto said as he looked up at her fondly and smiled. "If it's for you then I don't mind."

Sakura looked at him restlessly and felt herself growing increasingly uneasy as the moments ticked by with her gaze affixed on him. For a long time they had danced around their relationship. Naruto had stopped asking her for dates and telling her that he cared for her because at the time it had made her so obviously uncomfortable. She knew he hadn't moved on though, especially during times like these when his feelings for her seemed to manifest themselves to her despite being unvoiced. Of course, if she were honest with herself their interactions had slowly taken on all the characteristics of a relationship. Indeed, Sakura reminded herself, they even kissed. Usually her kisses were playful, but sometimes, such as just now, they carried more tenderness and affection.

"Are you okay Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. Sakura's emerald eyes focused on him as she took his hand into her own and squeezed it gently.

"I'm just glad you're safe," Sakura replied, hugging him tightly again as she found herself at a loss for words.

"I'm sorry I made you so worried," Naruto said softly. He stroked her hair gently and wished that he could pour out all of the words that he had long wanted to tell her, but refrained out of a desire not to hurt her. He had decided that after the traumatic experiences they had endured it was best not to push her. Naruto wasn't interested in anything less than Sakura's true feelings and their lives as ninja had encouraged them to suppress such things, not only through training, but through bitter experience.

"_My true feelings,_" Sakura thought to herself as she continued the prolonged embrace. A memory returned to her, unbidden. "_The strength of my feelings..._"

"Don't apologize, it's a worry that I want to have," Sakura said aloud. She drew back and smiled down at Naruto.

"Sakura…" Naruto said, his expression one of slight puzzlement.

"Naruto, this has made me think about something that I've avoided for a long time," Sakura said.

"What is that, Sakura?" Naruto asked. He moved his hand reassuringly to Sakura's forearm even as his own heart felt like it was about to seize up in his chest from the intense emotions that rushed to the surface as he perceived Sakura's intent.

"It's made me think about myself, and about you," Sakura said haltingly. "More importantly, it's made me think about us and how much you mean to me. About how much I care about you…and what it would feel like if you…if you weren't here anymore."

Sakura berated herself inwardly as she felt her emotions begin to flow around her self-control, causing tears to come to her eyes as she spoke her heart. She smiled weakly as Naruto tried to sooth her by patting her forearm encouragingly and actually succeeded. His eyes told her more than volumes of words.

"Don't make me say everything," Sakura said finally.

"You know my feelings for you haven't changed," Naruto said quietly. He left off the words, "_since we were gennin_," because of all the regrets they still carried from that era. "You know I love you Sakura; that I've always loved just you."

Naruto's actions had always been the proof of those words and those feelings. Sakura embraced him tightly again for a moment before drawing back enough so that her shimmering emerald eyes could look fully into his clear blue ones.

"I love you too, Naruto," Sakura said evenly. All the emotions, thoughts, and experiences of the past few years had come together at some point, she wasn't sure when, to produce this new feeling that she had for her old friend. It was a feeling, she realized somewhere in her subconscious, that she had never had for anyone else before and some part of her wasn't at all surprised by that.

Even if she were used to Naruto's normal cheerful expression Sakura was overwhelmed at the sheer radiant look that graced his visage now. She had always known to some extent that she possessed an ability, or rather that he had for some reason given her the ability, to make him happy with even the slightest favorable gesture. In retrospect Sakura realized that at some point she had accorded him the same ability with her happiness as well.

"I wish this moment would never end," Naruto said contentedly.

"There'll be plenty of good moments in the future," Sakura said gently. She got up slowly and performed a set of very basic medical seals. "For now though, you need to finish getting well. I'll be back as soon as I finish reporting to Tsunade, okay?"

"I'll be waiting," Naruto said, grinning.

Sakura dimmed the lights before gently shutting the door behind her as she left. She had not taken more than a few dozen steps down the hall until the floor in front of her started to shimmer as a concealing technique began to reveal the ninja it concealed.

"Greetings Naruto-sama," Maborosi said with feigned politeness as his form took shape.

"Excuse me?" Sakura replied. "Are you some kind of weirdo?"

"You continue to maintain your reputation for flawless transformation techniques," Maborosi said. Even in Naruto's weakened state he knew better than to attack him hurriedly. First he would analyze his prey. "But I'm afraid that this time you made a critical error."

"Oh? And what error was that?" 'Sakura' asked dryly. "I was pretty sure I hit all those seals correctly."

"You even managed to get the effect of the technique," Maborosi replied. "But that's what one would expect of a Sannin, weakened or not."

"So what was it then, since you seem to be so proud of yourself," Naruto asked. He let his pink haired disguise puff away. "It was just a lucky guess, right?"

"No, it was your walk," Maborosi said smugly.

"Hey," Naruto exclaimed indignantly. "I've perfected my womanly walk years ago!"

"Exactly," Maborosi said. "She walks nothing like that."

Naruto frowned, but admitted that it was possible. Sakura had long since ceased being concerned with such shallow things and the life of a ninja didn't always lend itself to stereotypical behavior patterns.

"Well congratulations," Naruto retorted. "For your trouble you've won a free trip to Konoha's interrogation squad."

"Not today," Maborosi said sinisterly. "Today I get to bag the head of at least one Sannin and possibly two."

"You won't hurt Sakura-chan," Naruto replied sternly. "And I like my head right where it is."

"Then let us see," Maborosi said confidently. His eyes began to change and his smile revealed swiftly elongating fangs. Naruto wouldn't be able to resist his techniques and strategy. He was sure of it.

A dozen blades impacted unceremoniously into lump where 'Naruto' still lay back in his room. Three blurs descended seemingly from no where and the bed was swiftly reduced to kindling under the combined effects of several deadly techniques.

"What rude brats," Sakura's bodiless, directionless voice echoed from the walls.

"Did we interrupt your touching scene?" Karai said nastily. "What kind of pathetic ninja are you anyway?"

"Careful," Bodai said. "This isn't real."

"I'm impressed that you could see through my technique," Sakura said. Dozens of copies of the pink haired girl began to grow from the walls along with black tentacles that crept to and fro seemingly at random.

"Don't look into her eyes," Kanmuri said suddenly. He pulled out a small vial and drank the contents quickly as Sakura's piercing emeralds seem to draw on the three attackers with both command and allure.

"This is ridiculous," Karai said. Her hands flashed through a dozen seals that culminated in a pulse of bright chakra that shattered many of the images closing in on the vulnerable squad. "Get her!"

Bodai and Kanmuri leapt in opposite directions, but quickly converged on the same point. Karai continued to form seals as her two teammates clawed at empty air until they pulled Sakura out of her technique and tossed her bodily across the room. In a flash they followed her, their weapons out and stabbing rapidly while Sakura's defenses were down. Metal clashed against metal as Sakura righted herself in time to repel the attacks.

"Now Karai," Kanmuri yelled. He and Bodai had latched onto Sakura again, struggling to contain her strength long enough for Karai to leap across the room and bury two kunai into Sakura's stomach.

"We're not out yet," Bodai said as he watched the blades sink into Sakura as if she were made of wax. He made seals rapidly as his two teammates formed up, backs facing each other, and aided his attempt to break the illusion.

"Let me give you a hand," Sakura yelled as she emerged at point blank range without warning. Kanmuri held his arms up in front of his comrades, but even though he took the blow all three of them were hurled through the wall and out into the yard surrounding the hospital.

"We're out," Bodai announced.

"There's some trick," Sakura muttered to herself as she analyzed the scene. She'd hit one of them with enough force to propel her fist through their flesh like a spear, regardless of chakra reinforcing, yet there they all stood completely unarmed.

"That was brutal," Kanmuri said as he drunk another set of vials. His hands flashed through several seals.

"She's coming," Karai said. All three of them worked together in concert to repel the latest flurry of blows as Sakura rushed in. They had known it would be tough, but fighting a Sannin was proving to be far more difficult than they had ever imagined. Their normal techniques wouldn't even slow her down and their extraordinary techniques were not simple to pull off.

"She isn't using her full strength each time," Bodai observed. His words prompted the other two to realize why. In one hand Sakura had a kunai while the other was simply balled into a fist. Her armed hand slashed and thrust with great speed, forcing them to block, but her other hand was always there waiting to lash out with enough force to kill them instantly. In this way they were forced to block and dodge whilst trying to pay attention to when to do what and with how much charka. As things stood they were wasting much of their energy on Sakura's less lethal kunai just because of the difficulty in keeping up with her movements.

"She's trying to force us apart," Kanmuri said. Sakura cart wheeled backward unexpectedly, her foot hooking on Bodai's chin to send him flying backward. Kanmuri tried to close in while Sakura's back was turned, but she whirled around, her arm extended so that it swung into him like a mace to send him flying too. In the same fluid movement her other fist slammed into the ground at Karai's feet rupturing the earth and spraying her with debris.

Karai recovered in time to dodge Sakura's heaviest blows as she gave up ground in order to stay alive. Sakura pressed the attack, never noticing that the other two were taking up positions behind her.

"I can see your mind turning," Maborosi said as he faded from view. "Perhaps you have begun to realize that without your crutch you cannot hope to win."

"I'm just deciding what kind of retribution your village should receive for such an insult," Naruto replied coolly.

"And, pray tell, which village do you intend to visit your wrath on?" Maborosi asked, laughing.

"By the end of this fight I'll tell you," Naruto replied. He dodged a fraction of an inch and felt Maborosi's transformed claws rake dangerously close to him. There was another sensation of slightly movement, but this time Naruto reached out and felt his fist connect with his opponent.

"If that's all the speed you have then you won't be able to keep up," Maborosi said mirthfully. Naruto still couldn't see him. The corridor of the hospital had begun to fill with a black mist and Maborosi's stealth technique rendered him invisible to the un-enhanced eye anyway.

"Release," Naruto said, channeling a significant amount of chakra into dispelling the illusion.

"Wasted effort," Maborosi said. "This is no illusion."

Naruto said nothing in reply, but instead flashed his hands through numerous seals. Three shadow clones appeared with their backs oriented so that they were all covering each other. The other three brought up their hands to mirror the real Naruto in continuing to form seals. As one they blew out a short burst of fire that scorched its way down the hall, but failed to ignite any surface. In the midst of the mostly harmless inferno Naruto noticed an unusual ebb in the current of the flame and immediately lashed out.

"Hidden Technique: Jumping Locus," Naruto said. At the completion of the last seal hundreds of tiny plugs of hard material popped out of the walls, ceiling, and floor with enough force to punch holes in anything unfortunate enough to stand in their way. Several of the tiny projectiles turned to powder as a hidden assailant destroyed them. Instantly Naruto's clones leapt into action.

A clone exploded as it took too much damage, but two more landed punches into the space where Maborosi was hiding. Then they too burst out of existence as Naruto slashed through them with a Rasengen.

"Too slow," Maborosi said exultantly. Naruto felt several stiff blows land on him, but thankfully his opponent hadn't used claws or blades. He righted himself cursing his carelessness all the while. He couldn't count on that again.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu," Naruto said. Maborosi shimmered back into view, his eyes narrowing as Naruto was obscured from view by the puff of smoke created by the appearance of a summoning.

"What is he doing now?" Maborosi muttered to himself.

"A barrier," Sakura thought frantically. As a ninja she had seen such techniques before, but they were pretty rare. Their use as a weapon was even rarer, yet here she was trapped inside an ever decreasing amount of space.

"Close it up," Karai said through gritted teeth. The barrier was no longer decreasing in volume as much as it had previously. Sakura had begun some kind of technique and now sat on her knees in an almost meditative state as she attempted to break free of the pyramidal coffin that threatened to crush her.

Kanmuri let his eyes wander just enough to see how close his comrades were to reaching their limit. Maintaining the barrier against a Sannin was proving to be much more difficult than they had anticipated. His brow furrowed in concentration as he poured more chakra into the technique and was rewarded by the tiny space closing in more.

"Don't stop now," Bodai said. "We've almost got her."

Sure enough, the small pyramidal barrier no longer contained anything recognizable as human. All that was left was a mass of squished flesh wrapped up inside the Sannin's pink and black uniform. With a collective sigh of relief the three ninja dropped their barrier and staggered back with exhaustion.

"No way," Karai said. The shapeless dead mass has inexplicably begun to twitch. "This is Konoha."

The crushed lump of Sakura's body continued to unfurl itself before slithering across the ground with unnatural speed to wrap itself around Karai. Her teammates were surprised into momentary inaction. Nothing had led them to anticipate that a person could survive being crushed and then retaliate in such an unusual manner.

"You should be dead," Karai said. Her skin began to burn and she redoubled her efforts to escape Sakura's grasp.

"I won't die so easily," Sakura said. She allowed some of her bones to harden and regain their shape. "And just so you know, neither will Naruto."

"Don't think you've won," Bodai said calmly even as he rushed in along with Kanmuri. Sakura saw too late that they had charged their palms with some sort of technique. She recoiled with pain as they laid hands on her and in the confusion Karai managed to escape as well. Sakura completely regained her normal form and began a healing technique to repair the first real damage that she had taken since the fight began. The two male ninja had used some kind of ice technique that had been especially effective against her while she was channeling abilities from her slug summons.

Sakura let the chakra flow into her fingertips as she regarded her wary opponents. She had been trying to disable them during the course of the battle, but thus far they had evaded her quite well. That, however, had all been part of her plan and now it was time for her to finish them off before they realized that she was tricking them. Sakura had been afraid that her slug like ability to resist their barrier's crushing effects would clue them into the fact that her abilities were somewhat different from those of her old master Tsunade, but so far they still seemed blissfully unaware. Whoever had decided to throw them into this mission had sent them too soon. They were talented, but they were still a long way from being able to best her.

"Are you finished yet?" Maborosi asked. He delivered another set of blows to Naruto's body and was rewarded by the disappearance of the big frog that had been clinging to Naruto's torso. He had been shocked at first by the unorthodox fighting technique that utilized frog summons to enhance physical ability, but had soon gotten over it.

"Not even close you feather freak," Naruto retorted. Maborosi had switched from his cat like enhancements to another set of features that resembled a rather rare type of bird. Naruto smirked as further confirmation of his theory fell into place. His old teacher would be proud. Underneath the underneath indeed...

Naruto connected with Maborosi again and in the exchange of blows used the momentum to put some badly needed distance between himself and the bird man. The two frogs left clinging to his arms clamped down with their feet and withdrew their tongues for a moment. Before Maborosi could close the distance again the toads opened wide and let loose a barrage of tongue bullets. Each toad had a small metal ball, much like a tongue ring, affixed to the end of its tongue. Once propelled at chakra enhanced speed the power was sufficient to punch small holes neatly through almost any surface, or ninja, which happened to get in the way.

Maborosi shifted again and there was a ringing sound of metal clinking against some particularly hard surface. Naruto dodged just in time to avoid having his arms cut off as twin obsidian blades came slicing down. His toad summons, however, were not so lucky and quickly disappeared in a puff of chalky smoke.

"Ah, you got careless," Naruto said as he pulled a bag out of no where. He always made sure that one of his summons carried spare supplies in case he were caught out without his tools…such as being forced to fight in a hospital gown.

"What are you talking about?" Maborosi sneered. "I've obliterated every trick you've tried this entire time."

"I told you that before this fight was over I'd discover which village sent you," Naruto replied casually. "The cat, and especially that bird narrowed it down, but those swords prove it. Only one village in the world has access to all three of those things at the same time…the Rock."

"Try again," Maborosi said seamlessly. Inwardly he was cursing, but there was no way he would ever let slip a reaction that would confirm the guess.

"I'm not expecting you to tell me I'm right," Naruto said. "But I know I am so there's no need to continue this fight."

"You don't have a choice," Maborosi said dangerously. His eyes narrowed as he watched Naruto slip a strange looking bracer over his forearms.

"You really should have done your homework better," Naruto said. His hands began to form more seals. "I know I've got a reputation for rushing in head first, but you were just too foolish."

"But, the nine tails is suppressed," Maborosi said. The amount of chakra radiating from Naruto was almost too terrible to imagine, even for a Sannin.

"Did you really think I could control the nine tails as I do without approaching his level?" Naruto asked quizzically. Maborosi's grip tightened on his swords and his eyes took on the feral look of a predator.

"That kind of power shouldn't be held by Konoha," Maborosi screamed as he charged Naruto.

Naruto took the blows on his forearms, the bracer's chakra conducting metal easily stopping the blades, as his hands continued to form seals. The walls shattered as the piping hidden behind them tore free and coiled around Maborosi as if they were a multitude of twisting snakes.

"Rasengen," Naruto called out. The swirling sphere consumed one of Maborosi's swords, but the other managed to hack the battered ninja free. He charged the sword with chakra just in time to deflect another Rasengen as Naruto pressed him. He shifted again and easily evaded Naruto's attacks as his new form granted him increased agility.

"A tail?" Naruto thought to himself as he tried to keep up with Maborosi's accelerated movements. "What a strange guy."

"I've got him," Maborosi thought exuberantly as he managed to get behind Naruto. He swung his sword, but an armored forearm parried it easily. In rage he struck out with his other fist only to have Naruto twist on his feet. The fist landed painfully in the thick mesh of spiky hair that had extended to shield Naruto's torso.

Maborosi barely escaped the hail of blonde needles that pelted the area around Naruto. It was time, Maborosi decided unhappily as he felt Naruto molding a large amount of chakra, to retreat. His hands flashed through a few seals quickly and an instant later he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Get back," Bodai yelled. Kanmuri and Karai both dodged, but he could tell that he had been too late in comprehending the change in the pink haired Sannin's attack strategy. Four deep red gashes opened up along the face and torso of his two teammates from the razor sharp chakra scalpel claws Sakura was using. Even worse, Karai staggered when she landed indicating that some of her tendons or muscles had been surgically severed.

"Drink this," Kanmuri said as he hastily passed Karai a small bottle. She did so and her leg regained its function, but they both knew that it would be temporary at best.

"I believe we've done all we can here," Bodai said, still calm. "If the mission has not succeeded by now then it isn't going to. Getting captured or killed will accomplish nothing."

"Saying it is easy," Kanmuri said. He clapped his hands together and sealed Sakura away inside four stone slabs that rose from the ground. An instant later the improvised prison shattered to dust under Sakura's thunderous strength.

"Idiot," Karai hissed. "That's a forbidden technique."

"We're running out of options," Kanmuri said. He clapped his hands together again and sent a hail of sharp shards flying toward Sakura to slow her down. If she managed to get close to them again she'd disable them with her technique or slice them up with her chakra blades.

"We should have been doing this from the beginning," Bodai said. Rough stone warriors picked themselves out of the ground and charged Sakura en mass.

The three had been fighting handicapped from the start since their best techniques all risked giving away the identity of their home village. Now, with the remaining chakra they had, they unleashed the greatest techniques they had in an effort to escape. Still, nothing they did seemed to slow Sakura down anymore.

Karai dodged again, barely sliding by Sakura as she dug a deep footprint into the ground under the force of her momentum. She whirled, her hand slashing for a death blow when she let out a short gasp of pain and twisted in surprise at the blade digging into her back.

"Disperse," Maborosi said tersely as he appeared. His three subordinates had no time to respond before Naruto appeared in a flash behind him and thrust a swirling typhoon of chakra into his back.

"Sensei," Kanmuri said. His teacher didn't respond with words, but instead smiled at his three students. Chakra boiled up inside him for a final technique.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said. He realized that Maborosi wasn't going to be taken alive and that he likely wanted to destroy them along with himself. Sakura winced, but let Naruto pull her away from the convulsing form of the ninja that had managed to get in an unexpected blow.

"Don't let them get away," Sakura said. She punched the ground hard, but despite the resulting upheaval the three ninja completed their escape by melting away into the ground. Maborosi had purchased his student's freedom with his life. His technique erupted into the surrounding atmosphere like a thunderbolt. Static electricity crackled as it scorched large patches of the ground. Energy continued to build up until Maborosi's body immolated in a flash that left nothing behind for Konoha's investigatory specialists to analyze.

"Sakura-sama, Naruto-sama, what happened here?" a baboon faced ANBU asked. It had taken several more minutes after the end of the battle for the elite squad to make an appearance.

"A four man squad attempted to assassinate Naruto and myself," Sakura said. "What happened to the guards posted at the hospital?"

"We, uh, we don't know," the man replied sheepishly.

"Don't know?" Tsunade's loud angry voice boomed from behind him. They couldn't see the man's expression from under his mask, but his posture screamed terror at the Hokage's wrath.

"Lady Hokage," the ANBU stuttered as a preface to what promised to be a long winded string of excuse making.

"Sakura, don't move," Tsunade said. "You either Naruto."

"I could have done that," Sakura said as Tsunade began working on them.

"This cut is deep and close to your spine," Tsunade said. Her hands glowed with chakra as they hovered over Sakura's wound. "And Naruto, you used up more chakra than is safe. You need your natural reserves as close to full as possible to regenerate your connection to the nine-tails."

"I'm fine," Naruto replied, his old childish pout bubbling up to the surface momentarily. "You, ANBU, go find Jiraiya."

"Naruto," Tsunade said sharply. "No, I absolutely forbid it. We've got enough problems without inviting more."

"We'll invite more trouble by doing nothing," Sakura said. "You know that more than anyone."

"Don't worry baa-chan," Naruto said. "History isn't going to repeat itself."

"I hope not," Tsunade said. "I don't intend to be the Hokage that presides over the next Great War."

* * *

AN: As anyone who has ready many of my fics can tell you I don't tend to allow my storylines to revolve around romance, but I felt it necessary to give a strong nod to my favorite pairing and the pairing that I believe will eventually become cannon. Needless to say action with a dash of politics will continue to be the moving forces of whatever storyline I proceed with. Thanks to those who read and review, all feedback is welcome. I'm extremely busy with real life right now and with other projects so, as usual, I have no idea when another chapter might be forthcoming. 


	7. Bleeding the Wolf

Chapter 7 – Bleeding the Wolf

The wind caused the dust to skitter across the red, parched landscape of the middle circle that constituted the land protected by the Village Hidden in the Rocks. A small furry animal sniffed the air uneasily as it detected a dreaded scent that spoke to unseen danger that crept on the edge of the shadows cast by great pillars of stone that dotted the terrain. With a terrified shriek the tiny animal fled as four dark figures materialized out of thin air all around it.

"They were here," a ninja wearing a tiger mask said flatly.

"They won't be far," another, this one wearing a monkey mask, added.

"To think that they've come this deep into our territory though," the pigeon masked third ninja said.

"You all talk too much," the fourth said dangerously. His mask was no animal, but instead something very unusual for an ANBU to wear; a deformed demon mask. "Move out."

The four figures shimmered away from the grizzly scene they had finished inspecting. Another four man training squad, teacher and three students, had been wiped out by an unseen foe that everyone knew who was, but who no one could prove, even if they had dared to.

"Are you two sure this is okay?" Jiraiya asked. He was sitting under an outcropping of rock in its scant shade while Naruto and Sakura made themselves comfortable on a nearby rock with a mostly flat surface.

"You're right," Naruto said cheekily. "We should all stand motionless out in the middle of a clearing somewhere."

"Maybe we should put on cloaks too," Sakura added.

"You didn't have to make fun of me," Jiraiya said, grousing slightly. Still, it made him happy to see his student finally able to enjoy himself. He wasn't sure exactly what Naruto's relationship with Tsunade's apprentice was, but he had recognized a distinct change in the pair's interaction following the attempt on Naruto's life.

Jiraiya stretched silently while remaining in his relaxed position and watched them intently as they sat there talking quietly as they looked at each other with fond, mirth filled eyes. He'd never seen them do anything overt, like kiss, while they were out on a mission. Even the best ninja could be distracted by such things if they allowed themselves to so indulge. Not to mention that such relationships, which were always known to a certain degree, were best left unadvertised when a combat situation could potentially break out at any time. There is no need to give the enemy another thing to use against you, after all.

"Say, Naruto," Sakura asked suddenly. They had been talking about the various techniques that each of them were working on. Long ago, for a ninja, they had both perfected their fighting styles, but now they each were attempting to push the limits of their abilities by creating new original techniques. "Will you go shopping with me when we get back to Konoha? We haven't been able to relax in quite a while now."

"Shopping huh?" Naruto said, his eyes sparkling with humor. "I guess that means I need to scour the bingo book for another bounty head, right?"

"Baka," Sakura said, but she still grinned.

"Or maybe I should just ask Jiraiya to refund some of the money he took from me over the years," Naruto said, this time more loudly.

"You can't get blood from a stone, boy," Jiraiya shot back.

Sakura laughed into the back of her hand as Naruto ranted at the aging toad hermit for a few minutes. She was also quite happy to see the blonde haired Sannin enjoying himself with his teacher and the closest thing he had ever had to a father figure. After everything had settled down again Jiraiya started a small fire and cooked their humble evening meal.

"Sometimes you're enviable," Sakura commented idly. They had eaten cup ramen again for what seemed the hundredth time. Naruto, of course, was perpetually in love with the dish, but Sakura and Jiraiya were both feeling a bit burnt out.

"You just don't know what's good," Naruto said. He turned to his old master. "Hey, old man, do you want to prepare us a place to sleep or should I?"

"I've not got the chakra reserves I once had," Jiraiya said lightly. "Plus you need the practice."

"Eh? It's been a long time since you could slack off with that excuse," Naruto said dryly. Never the less he took a few steps back and bit his finger slightly. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A dome shaped mound of spotted amphibian flesh grew out of the ground. Naruto made a few additional hand seals and a layer of earth crept up over the strange structure. At a point directly in front of the three ninja there was a small opening that allowed entrance into the summoned structure.

"This place is always nicer than it should be," Sakura commented as they entered into the dimly lit room with its warm fleshy walls. She performed a series of hand seals as well to complete their preparations.

"Stomach of a stone toad," Naruto said. "It doesn't get much homier than that."

The three ninja spread out their thin blankets and prepared to get some sleep. They were on the move so much these days that they tended to live like peasants even more than was normal for ninja on long missions. Jiraiya leaned back against the spongy but dry wall and found himself once again in a position to watch his two young comrades. They maintained a respectable distance from each other, but they were still continuing some whispered conversation about some matter that he couldn't quite decipher. He shook his head slightly. His hearing must be starting to go too. In any event he couldn't be bothered with pondering the interactions of his idiot apprentice and the pink haired object of Naruto's adoration.

"Neh, Naruto, was he always so noisy?" Sakura asked. She laughed silently as Naruto scrunched up his face with distaste at Jiraiya's loud snoring. Thanks to Naruto's tenant the blonde Sannin was a perfect physical specimen in that his body had been "healed" to the peak of its potential. While his smell would never match someone like Kiba, nor his eyes ever match a Sasuke, his senses were still rather formidable for that of an average human.

"It just gets worse," Naruto said with a mock groan. Of course, after having spent so much time with each other neither of them were surprised by Jiraiya's disturbing habits, but one of their favorite things to do was join together in a good hearty round of complaining.

"Maybe when we get back you can convince Tsunade baa-chan to give us a break," Naruto said. Sakura made a long drawn out "hm-ing" noise.

"Baka, this was your idea after all," Sakura replied.

"I just said what everyone else was thinking," Naruto replied. "If we weren't out here doing this baa-chan would have us off on something else though."

"With any luck tomorrow will finish it," Sakura said seriously. "The next move will belong to them. If they decide to quit then we'll have bought some more peace…"

"If they decide to take retribution," Naruto said, leaving the rest unfinished. "We should stay close to the village in case they decide to move in force."

"Perhaps," Sakura said hesitantly. She wasn't sure that waiting to take the next punch would be wise, but they didn't need to worry about a worst case scenario yet. "We'll have to deal with that if it happens."

"Sakura," Naruto said softly. He didn't think that they were being observed, but one could never be too careful.

"I know," Sakura replied back, smiling warmly at him. "Good night Naruto-kun."

"Good night, Sakura-chan," Naruto replied.

Jiraiya snorted and turned over uncomfortably before settling back into his fitful rest.

"What kind of technique was used here?" Pigeon mask asked. Four tall shadowy figures stood in a loose formation as they inspected a clearing that had clearly been altered by significant amounts of chakra in some way that they were not entirely familiar with.

"Judging by the remnants," Demon mask replied. "It was _them_. This is a technique that only the great lords of summoning can bestow on their favored ties to this world."

"So much chakra," Tiger mask said uncomfortably. "The technique must be incredibly wasteful. The soil is permeated with chakra…"

Demon mask turned around with a start as a hail of kunai flew out of thin air and turned tiger mask into a bloody mass of puncture wounds. Tiger mask's body wavered and was replaced by a pillar of stone just as Tiger mask himself stepped out of Demon mask's shadow. All four Rock ninja had assumed a defensive position as they searched for their assailants.

"Not too shabby," Naruto said. The ground swelled up in three places loosely surrounding the Rock ninja. It continued to wave and shimmer for a moment before solidifying into the form of Naruto, Sakura, and Jaraiya.

"You've been fighting genin for too long," Tiger mask said contemptuously. "We won't let you get away with this outrage for any longer."

"Don't act indignant with us," Sakura retorted. "You decided to play this game when you sent assassins after Konoha's Sannin."

"If it's any consolation," Naruto said pointedly. "We intend to stop with your deaths."

If it was any consolation the three Leaf ninja would never know; the reaction of their opponents was hidden behind masks and years of training in emotional control. All seven combatants shimmered away under chakra enhanced speed and movement techniques that were impossible for the normal eye to follow. The surrounding landscape echoed with the sound of clashing blades and various thrown weapons began to appear embedded in odd places as targets were missed or trajectories were altered by deflection.

"Jonin of the Rock," Jiraiya muttered as he appeared next to Sakura and Naruto. After their brief skirmish with the Rock ninja they found their position reversed with themselves as the surrounded party.

"S-class," Sakura replied softly. Ordinary jonin would not have been able to fight against them so well, even with a slight numerical advantage.

Tiger mask suddenly performed hand seals as the other three launched a new round of projectile attacks. Sakura didn't move, instead relying on Naruto who quickly moved to deflect the attack. His hair lengthened into a long spiky mass of hardened spines that encompassed both him and Sakura as he wrapped her into his arms. There was a faint sound of metal and stone clinking against the chakra enhanced hardness of Naruto's hair, but Sakura had more important things to attend to. She donned her surgical gauntlet and extracted a large volume of noxious liquid from her body that she had produced with the help of her connection to the slugs.

"Go," she said forcefully as the reservoirs in the metal glove were filled and ready to disgorge their contents via the thin needle like metal claws that were now Sakura's finger tips.

Naruto spun around, his hair parting as he built momentum, until he could fling Sakura toward the nearest enemy with a great deal of force. She slipped past a desperate attack designed to fend her off and stabbed her needle claws deep into the ninja with the monkey mask. At the same time her other hand delivered a thunderous blow to the ground which caused the terrain to break apart in a great cloud of dust and confusion.

"He's fast," Sakura thought as she peered through the dust and saw that a pillar of stone was hissing and bubbling as her poison melted it. Her target had used a switching technique to evade her killing blow.

A hail of blonde hair flew out from behind her as Naruto shed his chakra induced growth by turning it into a projectile attack, but the ninja in the monkey mask had already disappeared in a burst of speed. Meanwhile Jiraiya was steadily giving up ground as he tried to deal with two opponents at once.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said. Her eyes darted to his and understanding filled them as he moved toward Jiraiya. The white haired Sannin disintegrated a pair of kunai and lunged forward with the twin Rasengan that he had formed. Before the rock ninja could properly react there was a blur of pink and blonde next to the elder ninja. For a moment all seven ninja were locked in close combat.

Sakura barged forward and unleashed a barrage of deadly blows, several of which landed scraping blows on their opponents. At the same time Naruto formed Rasengan in each of his hands as well and along with Jiraiya surged into the loose ranks of their enemies. The danger of close combat was self evident and accordingly the Rock ninja danced away for precious space.

"Get back," Jiraiya called out warningly as he felt a surge in chakra coming from their opponents.

"Ninpo, Avatar of the Golem," Monkey mask said as his hands methodically formed seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu," rang out from two different voices just in time to obscure the field in a blindingly large cloud of smoke. Jiraiya clapped his hands together and swept the field clean with a burst of air. They couldn't afford to let their enemies attack them from behind a screen of smoke while they were standing out in the open.

"Amazing," Naruto said quietly as he gazed upon the giant spider that had been called to the field. Its body was brown and hairy, but he could tell that it had a thickly armored exoskeleton just beneath the hair. Its multitude of eyes swiveled in all directions to look for prey to stuff into the gaping maw of its fanged mandibles.

Arguably more amazing was the other towering figure standing next to the spider. Surprisingly it was not the other summon, but instead a mountain of earth and stone that had formed into an immense earthen armor reminiscent of the sand armor that Gaara had once used, though its shape was human in form. The remaining two ninja were perched atop the monstrous instruments of their comrades. One of them had an abnormally large, but not gigantic hawk perched on his shoulder whilst the other appeared to be poised to launch some kind of jutsu based attack.

"Naruto, you need to lead the attack," Jiraiya said. "This is the proof of our caution."

"Right," Naruto replied. Three cries of "kuchiyose no jutsu" rang out, this time from Konoha's side of the battle.

"Interesting!" Gamabunta said in a booming voice as he observed the situation. "To think that you would require all of us at once… Interesting indeed!"

The ground groaned in protest as the massive weight of Gamabunta, Katsuyu, and a large destroyer toad wearing two swords all shifted to gain some space between each other.

"Katsuyu, acid," Sakura said as the frogs leaped into the air, drawing their weapons as they flew.

"Yes Mistress," Katsuyu said in her calm poetic voice. The giant slug issued forth a high pressure stream of acidic fluid toward the immense spider summon only to see the tiger masked ninja defend with a large wall of stone.

From over the wall the spider scurried with alarming quickness toward Sakura and Katsuyu. The monkey masked ninja used his giant earthen armor to support the spider's advance by hurling immense boulders gouged from the ground toward Katsuyu. Sakura swung an arm back in preparation to defend from the onslaught.

"Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet," Naruto called out an instant before a sheet of flame erupted across the battlefield between Katsuyu and the great spider.

"Earth Release: Underworld Swamp," Jiraiya said. The earth beneath the spider and the monkey masked ninja instantly sloshed into a mire of swampland. Unfortunately, neither the spider nor the earthen giant was even slightly affected. The spider's many hair legs dispersed its weight sufficiently for it to walk on top of the thick swamp and the earthen giant seemed able to extend its considerable bulk through the trap down to the solid ground beneath it.

However, the fire had been somewhat successful in slowing down the attack and that was all the time that Jiraiya's destroyer toad needed to position itself in front of Katsuyu. Twin blades came free from the toads back and sliced through the incoming boulders hurled by the stone giant. Under Jiraiya's direction the toad destroyer settled back on its haunches and let lose a barrage of water bullets. The tightly packed balls of chakra enforced water jetting across the still burning landscape toward the enemy summons only to be swatted from the sky.

A great earthen dragon coiled around the spider and opened its mouth for another attack. A torrent of mud drawn from Jiraiya's swamp filled the air with a thick mist of blinding muck. Jiraiya and Sakura were just wiping the miry substance from their eyes when a hail of stone spikes came whistling through the screen of mud toward their direction.

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet," Naruto yelled. A second hail of projectiles intercepted and annihilated those fired by the Rock ninja. "Gamabunta, I've got to do something about that stone giant."

"Quite right," Gamabunta replied. "It's just like the old days again my boy."

Naruto performed a hand seal and then disappeared from Gamabunta's head. A few moments later he appeared amidst the chaos near the thin part of the stone giant where the monkey masked ninja had embedded himself. Even through the mask Naruto could see the man's surprised reaction as the blonde appeared just a few feet away.

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet," Naruto intoned as he inhaled and blew fire. A split second before the searing blasts would have hit the vulnerable ninja controlling the massive giant of earth the summoned hawk blew the inferno away with several powerful gusts from its wings.

Without ceremony Naruto found himself locked in hand to hand combat with the pigeon masked ninja, but the man's technique was nothing like that which he had previously faced. With the hawk continually swooping, flinging feathers, and raking Naruto with its talons the blonde Sannin found himself pressed to maintain his tenuous position on the side of the earth giant.

"Rasengan," Naruto said as he tried to land the swirling sphere of chakra onto his nimble opponent. Spikes erupted from the earthen giant and Naruto realized that the monkey masked ninja was aiding his ally.

At the same time the hawk stooped, wings bent, and plowed into Naruto's exposed side. The wings were clearly enhanced by chakra because the lucky blow gouged out a deep wound in Naruto's side. Naruto's Rasengan tore a huge cylindrical hole into the shoulder of the earthen giant that they were standing astride. The momentum from his attack's impact tossed Naruto aside just in time to dodge a cross attack from the hawk and its summoner that would have probably left him severely wounded.

"You guys," Naruto growled. He made a series of one handed seals as his eyes began to turn a slight shade of red. His flesh churned and healed at a visible rate while Naruto calculated his next attack.

"Jiraiya, be more careful," Sakura admonished sharply as she applied a healing technique to the aging Sannin's hand. Jiraiya had used the speed of his destroyer toad to close in on the spider and had managed to engage the demon masked ninja in hand to hand combat. In exchange for his efforts the tiger masked ninja had gotten the drop on him and sliced his wrist open, severing tendons and effectively ending Jiraiya's ability to form two handed seals.

"You almost sound worried, Sakura-chan," Jiraiya said gruffly. He flexed his injured limb. "That's enough for now, I can form seals again."

"Katsuyu," Sakura said warningly. An oversized net of steel like silk had suddenly appeared directly over them. The giant slug broke apart into hundreds of tiny segments.

"Whaa," Jiraiya said, cutting off as they sped away.

"Hang on," Sakura replied. They were riding one of Katsuyu's surprisingly fast components down a slope of other tiny slugs like some kind of strange surfers. Sakura began making seals and the slugs behind them organized themselves. One slug would grip another so that it could be flung through the air violently toward the spider.

Explosions began rocking the landscape as a rain of acid bloated slug bodies began to impact all around the giant spider, but due to its slender form and unnatural quickness very few of the 'bombs' managed to hit it. The slugs continued to endlessly subdivide themselves though so the bombardment worked well as a distraction and as a tool for keeping the spider at distance, even if Sakura's latest tactic wouldn't land a knock out blow.

Sakura turned her head away as a huge body suddenly blocked out the sun for a split second before landing with a fierce blast of displaced air right in front of the giant spider. Gamabunta, his short blade drawn, had abandoned Naruto and leapt across the battlefield to go head on with the only other summon on the field that was as large and powerful as himself.

"Gokuraku," Gamabunta said menacingly. "Don't think I've forgiven you."

"Gamabunta," Gokuraku replied. "That should be my line!"

Gamabunta reeled back as four legs came crashing down on him. With his movement limited Gokuraku lifted up the weight of his body and thrust with his fangs to impale his victim's thick hide. At the last second Sakura and Jiraiya appeared on Gamabunta's back. With a strained grunt of effort Sakura wound back and delivered a full powered punch upward into one of the descending poison filled fangs.

"My fang," Gokuraku shrieked. The demon masked ninja, which had up until this point been defending his creature, decided that it was time to take affirmative action.

"Watch out," Jiraiya said as the demon mask appeared in their midst. The two Sannin leapt apart, but not before he narrowly missed grabbing Sakura by her hair.

"This is dangerous," Sakura thought as she came to a rest further down on Gamabunta's head. They still didn't really know everything that the demon masked ninja was capable of.

"I'll leave him to you," Jiraiya called out. A three headed earth dragon technique had erupted from the ground around them and was threatening to do serious damage to the destroyer toad. Gamabunta was still locked in combat with the partially disabled Gokuraku, but he had the advantage now that his foe only possessed one functioning fang.

"Katsuyu," Sakura said as she formed seals. Slugs began converging on a position close to Gamabunta, piling on top of each other until Katsuyu had reformed herself. The slug's massive bulk flopped down on top of the spider summon, pinning it. Sakura used the opportunity to jump from her location on Gamabunta to the spider so that she could close in on the demon mask.

"What…is…this…" Sakura said. She had felt this before, this sensation of her limbs no longer obeying her commands. Just like when she had teamed up with Chiyo-baa-sama…

"Master Technique – Blood of the Bound," Demon mask intoned. He held up a tiny doll wrapped around with a few stands of pink hair.

"No!" Sakura shouted as she was propelled toward Katsuyu "Look out!"

Katsuyu, already exhausted from subdividing herself so many times, exploded in a thick cloud of white smoke as Sakura buried her fist into her spongy body. Sakura turned around, her face livid, only to crumple in pain from the demon masked ninja's manipulation of the doll. Despite the fire burning through her limbs Sakura propelled herself forward, much to the shock of her opponent, and landed a blow squarely in his torso. Though the extreme pain that she was in prevented the punch from containing the full potential of her power it none the less knocked the ninja off of Gokuraku's back. Sakura looked back toward Jiraiya for a moment before following her prey.

"Keep it up 'Bunta-sama," Jiraiya muttered. Gokuraku had somehow wrapped his brittle looking legs up around Gamabunta such that the two of them were trapped against each other in a battle of strength. Sparks flew as Gokuraku's remaining fang scrapped against Gamabunta's blade.

Jiraiya looked up at the towering chakra animated beast before him. That guy in the tiger mask, Jiraiya concluded, was some kind of jutsu prodigy to be able to create a beast of that size and maintain it against an actual summon for so long. The destroyer toad expertly sidestepped a biting attack and swung its blades into the stony neck of the dragon to no effect.

"I'm going to have to take this thing down myself," Jiraiya thought. He gave the signal to jump and relied on his loyal summon to take him into the heart of the earth dragon. The sickening sound of steel on stone echoed all around him as he finally pinpointed the location of his opponent and jumped from the destroyer toad onto the enemy's technique.

Jiraiya inhaled deeply and spat out dozens of tiny water pellets toward the tiger masked ninja. Part of the dragon's body was manipulated into an impromptu wall that blocked the attacks partially, but several managed to punch through. Jiraiya's Rasengan finished demolishing the rest of the wall and then he was in hand to hand combat once again. As the battle between toad and dragon continued around them the two ninja dueled on the ever shifting platform that had become their battlefield.

"Blast," Jiraiya said as a hail of obsidian shards pelted his body. He could tell that he had taken enough damage to kill a normal ninja, let alone a normal human. But he, the legendary toad hermit, was far from normal. During the attack he had pressed his opponent such that they now stood on the juncture where the three heads of the earth dragon technique were joined with the main body.

"It appears that I become a legend today," Tiger mask said, finally breaking his silence as he prepared to finish Jiraiya. The white haired Sannin smirked.

"Cho Odama Rasengan," Jiraiya said as the large tempest of chakra formed in his hand. He darted forward, blood pouring from agitated wounds, and delivered his final technique.

"Where are you aiming old man?" Tiger mask asked.

"Behind you," Jiraiya said. A long stone spike had sprouted from the middle of his chest, but his technique had done its work. Stone protested as the dragon's core was churned up into an expanding vortex of chakra. The tiger masked ninja realized his peril, but it was too late. He was sucked into the swirling ball of destruction along with Jiraiya and his technique.

With a painful squawk the great hawk summoned by the pigeon masked ninja fell from the sky and hit the ground with a thud before evaporating back into the white smoke it had appeared from. Kunai bombs thrown by Naruto had filled the sky with so many dagger-like projectiles that even the ninja bird had been unable to take them all without leaving itself open for additional attacks.

"Written Technique, Body of Air," Pigeon mask said. His fingers elongated into bird like talons and the rest of his body took on superficial aspects of a bird. The monkey masked ninja, who had been effectively out of the larger battle in his efforts to support his comrade, was beginning to get frustrated.

"Get him off of me," Monkey mask said tersely as the battle neared the point where he was embedded in his technique. "We're beginning to lose the advantage."

Naruto stepped through the swirling morass of muck that the monkey masked ninja was manipulating in an attempt to throw him off balance when it solidified around him unexpectedly. He began forming hand seals, dodging determinedly as the pigeon masked ninja closed in.

"Hidden Technique," Naruto began. The terrain shifted randomly and instead of dodging another blow Naruto felt talons biting into his arm. He pumped chakra into his legs and tore himself free of the earthen bindings that had ensnared him, but at the same time it allowed the pigeon masked ninja to get sufficient leverage to completely tear his arm away at the shoulder.

"Great," Naruto thought as he was sent flying away. He spat out a small ball of fire and crushed it into the hole where his arm had been previously so as to staunch the freely flowing blood. Even his tenant wouldn't be able to heal such a wound, at least not in the condition he was currently in. He hadn't wanted to use this technique with his chakra reserves nearly depleted, but the battle had gone on long enough. It was time to bring things to a close.

"Secret Technique: Flowering Sakura: Model Aegis," Naruto called out. Pink tinted chakra flowed out of his right wrist and formed a circular shield that looked as if it were made out of many tiny cherry blossom petals.

He leapt to one side to avoid the crashing fist of the earthen giant which was now free to unleash its full potential. The boulder strewn landscape was being ground down to sand under the onslaught of a veritable moving mountain.

"Wind Release: Spiraling Shuriken," Naruto said as he crouched down and used some last bits of chakra to hurl himself back into the sky. A ponderous fist rose in an attempt to knock him back down, but his technique ground through it effortlessly. The immense earthen armor had no chance of avoiding its fate as the hammer blow of the Spiraling Shuriken tore through its lateral axis. The shockwave tossed Naruto, the pigeon masked ninja, and the tiger masked ninja aside like leaves buffeted about on a bitter fall wind.

"Naruto," Gamabunta said heavily. He had at last managed to dispel his opponent, but it was at the cost of most of his strength. "You're becoming as bad as Jiraiya. If you don't end this before it gets anymore out of hand then I'll deal with you myself."

With that Gamabunta vanished away with a puff of smoke back to where he came from along with his underling who had also expended the time allotted to him by Jiraiya's summoning. The scarred battlefield now had none left standing except Sakura and the demon masked ninja.

"Come," Demon mask said with a strained voice. Normally his power, which was a mix of mind techniques and physical puppetry, was uncontested once it settled onto a victim. The pink haired Sannin was proving to be much more challenging as she fought his control every step of the way. He liberally poured chakra into his doll to maintain his control and to cause the young woman to come closer to her doom. With his free hand he gripped a kunai; with the amount of power and concentration it took to keep dominance over Sakura's struggling form he couldn't afford to do anything more than stab her heart and end it quickly.

"Careless," Sakura said as she felt the blade run through her chest. The demon masked ninja felt a slight sting and looked to where one of the needle tips on her gauntlet had pricked his skin.

"Doesn't…matter," Demon mask said as his world began to spin. "We've….defeated…the Sannin."

"You mean you never noticed?" Sakura asked. Only it wasn't Sakura anymore. Her image had been replaced by a black haired young ninja wearing a Rock headband.

"What is this?" Demon mask said groggily as he pushed the heavy weight of a comrade he had thought recently deceased away from him. The one armed body of Naruto and the impaled corpse of Jiraiya likewise shimmered into Rock ninja that had been presumed dead after going missing in combat.

"You underestimated us," Naruto said, his voice echoing from the empty air around them. "Thanks to that you wasted your power fighting our Shouten no Jutsu."

"You won't…destroy…my village," Demon mask said. The poison had nearly killed him, but through sheer will he held on.

"No, we won't," Jiraiya said. "We were telling the truth earlier. Your team is the last to get evidence that we were responsible and so if the Rock commits no more acts of aggression against Konoha then we will end it. The treaty will stand."

"Without evidence there is no honorable basis for a war," Sakura said. She didn't think that the demon masked ninja had heard her though. The speed of her poison was well known to her after all.

"Take their bodies," Naruto said. "I'm sure there's much we can learn from them."

"I'll prepare a scroll," Jiraiya said. He breathed out a sigh of relief as Naruto and Sakura finished off the remaining ninja. That technique had required a much larger percentage of his chakra than either of them had dedicated to it and he was exhausted.

"Ah, Namikaze," Jiraiya thought as he watched Naruto move. "I wish you were here now, but I'm glad enough just the same."

"Hey Jiraiya, are you ready yet?" Naruto yelled back.

"Yes, yes, bring them over here," Jiraiya said, his thoughts dispersing. There were still many things that he wanted to say, but for now it appeared as if they just might escape war and get Rock to observe its treaty. That would be enough.

* * *

Thanks for reading and reviewing. 


	8. Interlude

Chapter 8 – Interlude

Sakura scrutinized herself in her mother's full length mirror to make sure that her hair wasn't being stifled by her headband before smoothing out her clothes one last time. She thought about getting her pack but decided that it wasn't necessary to lug excessive tools around in the middle of Konoha.

"When will you be back dear?" Sakura's mother asked from the other room as Sakura made her way toward the front door.

"I don't know Mom," Sakura replied lightly. "I'm going to go shopping with Naruto-kun."

"I won't make you anything for lunch then," echoed back as Sakura slipped through the door. She still enjoyed staying with her mother and due to her travel heavy life she had never bothered with the unnecessary expense of getting her own apartment.

Sakura walked down the streets of Konoha, which was still in the midst of its early morning wake up. Traveling merchants were starting to filter into the streets and the shops that were not already opening were preparing to. Many of the single operators were sweeping their steps or putting out street displays in an effort to entice shoppers inside.

"Sakura-sama," someone said in friendly greeting. Sakura smiled prettily and waved to those who took time to say hello. She was always slightly embarrassed by the level of reverence that some of the civilians paid to her just for walking by.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto's voice called out. She turned around and waited for her energetic blonde to catch up to her. "You look happy today."

"Of course," Sakura said. "I'm on vacation with you and I can't think of anything more perfect right now."

Naruto looked at her for a moment and then practically beamed with one of his widest smiles, which was saying a lot considering how many times she'd seem him smile.

"So where do you want to go?" Naruto asked. They had begun walking slowly toward the center of the village where many of the nicer stores were located.

"I'm feeling a little nostalgic today," Sakura said. She pointed up to a sign that read "Grass of the Field."

"I don't remember ever going in here," Naruto said idly as they went inside.

"You're kidding?" Sakura replied. "I used to love this place when I was little, but they've got some things for adults too."

"Do they have clothing rated for ninja use?" Naruto asked.

"No, baka," Sakura said. Well, they might have one item that she was thinking of in particular that could be suited to ninja utilization. "However, they do have the best selection from Fire, Wave, and Grass country."

"Ah, I see," Naruto said. He casually felt of the soft fabrics on a pair of rather loud looking pants.

"Where on earth did you get your clothes from if you didn't come here?" Sakura asked again, preoccupied with a selection of belts.

"Well, I got a clothing allowance for a while," Naruto said uncomfortably. "But that stuff was always dropped off. Then by the time I entered the academy I started wearing ninja rated clothes pretty much exclusively…"

"Right," Sakura said. She fumed at herself inwardly. Naruto had told her all these things before; why hadn't she been paying closer attention to what she was asking him. It wasn't like she was hanging out with Ino.

"I didn't mind," Naruto said, as if reading her thoughts.

"I can be careless sometimes," Sakura said softly. She reached out and took Naruto's hand into her own.

"I'm thankful for the past that built this present," Naruto replied with an equally soft tone. "You know that you can say anything to me Sakura-chan."

"Baka," Sakura muttered out of his earshot. She knew that, but she didn't want to say anything to ruin their good mood today. Unfortunately, the disruptions didn't seem to be over. As quickly as they had moved on to lighter subjects the owner of the store, an elderly woman named Miatio, glided in seemingly from no where to inquire about whether they were finding everything.

"Sakura-sama, Naruto-sama, you honor my humble shop," Miatio said.

"You do us too much credit Owner-san," Naruto replied.

"Please, Naruto-sama, call me Miatio," Miatio said. As she turned to Sakura her eyes flitted down briefly to take in the sight of the two young Sannin holding hands. "It is so good to see you again child. I had missed your visits."

"It's good to see you again as well Miatio-san," Sakura replied. The clothing was loosely organized by gender and so Sakura slowly drifted away from Naruto after giving him strict instructions to pick out some nice evening clothes for himself. She considered making his choices for him, considering the orange atrocity that he had worn when he was younger, but in the end determined that his selections should reflect his own personality rather than her taste.

"Sakura-sama," Miatio said. She had unexpectedly appeared next to Sakura, which was somewhat impressive even though Sakura had almost completely dropped her guard.

"Please, Miatio-san," Sakura said, smiling softly. "There's no need for the 'sama' between old friends is there?"

"Perhaps not, Sakura-chan," Miatio replied. Her face took on a rather reflective look as if the old woman were considering something distant. She seemed to realize Sakura was studying her. "I just got lost in the past for a minute. You remind me of someone."

"Eh, I know I've got a temper, but I'm really not that much like Tsunade-" Sakura said only to be cut off.

"I didn't mean Tsunade-sama," Miatio said. "Your mannerism; you increasingly remind me of the Third."

"The Third?" Sakura repeated, startled.

"Yes, somewhat," Miatio said. Her eyes flicked over to where Naruto was for a moment before focusing on Sakura again. "I've watched you for a long time now Sakura-san. But that is not the reason I wanted to talk to you."

"Really?" Sakura asked. She had not missed the quick movement of Miatio's gaze. "And what is that?"

"I…" Miatio said, looking down and to the side slightly. Her face appeared to take on a great weariness. "I wanted to ask you about…Naruto-sama."

"Um, what about him?" Sakura asked, blushing slightly. She saw us holding hands, Sakura thought, or maybe she's heard those rumors about Tsunade-sensei announcing her successor soon.

"He really isn't a demon, is he?" Miatio asked, her voice barely a whisper. Sakura felt a splash of cold water immerse her spine. Hadn't everyone figured it out that Naruto was the demon's jailer years ago? Wasn't he the village's hero now?

"I've known this for some time," Miatio admitted. "But I couldn't believe it even when everyone else did."

"Why couldn't you believe it?" Sakura asked, trying not to let any disbelief or bitterness seep into her voice. "After everything that Naruto has done for us all."

_After everything he's done for me_, was the unvoiced addition to her statement.

"When the Nine-Tails was sealed away by the Fourth we were told by those who knew the lore of the tailed beasts that no human shell could ever contain the power of the greatest demon," Miatio said. "We had no reason to doubt them, even later, even when he seemed like a little boy, the Nine-Tails was a deceiver; we had no reason to doubt…"

"Why are you telling me these things?" Sakura asked. It pained her to know how Naruto had been shunned in the past, but he had put it behind him and she wanted to as well.

"You are a Sannin," Miatio replied. "All of Konoha reveres those who have achieved that title as the strongest of ninja, but more than strength is the great knowledge that breathed life into that strength and the wisdom to use it effectively. Please tell me, should I have doubted the things that were said?"

"I…" Sakura said, then paused for a moment. It was true, and her own experiences testified to the fact, that those who housed the tailed demons rarely remained themselves. Gaara was driven to murderous near insanity much earlier due to his treatment, but eventually his tenant would have eroded his mind and consumed him. Only those humans with extraordinary abilities and strong wills could become the master rather than the mastered. "You were not wrong."

Miatio seemed to sag visibly with relief, but Sakura wasn't done with her.

"But you were not right either," she said. "Those who possess the tailed beasts are not predestined to succumb to their influence, even if they are a young child. Strength of will, training, and their own power can enable them to harness the liability as their tool."

"I see," Miatio said. She looked away again, downcast.

"The Third knew this as well," Sakura said. "You should have listened to him."

"His relationship with the Fourth, everyone thought that his bias, that his words were too suspicious," Miatio said, rambling slightly.

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked as the old woman seemed to lose more of her composure by the minute.

"I'm sorry I troubled you dear," Miatio said determinedly. "You didn't need an old lady's problems. I've been too selfish."

"Miatio-san, please, why does this bother you so?" Sakura asked gently. "These things are all long past now."

"I watched Naruto-sama with suspicious eyes and thus was witness to many cruel things," Miatio replied. "There were some that kept him from wandering, when he was quite small, by hitting him if he went into a part of the village where he was not meant to go. Some threw stones."

"You did these things as well," Sakura asked, already knowing the answer.

"I can never apologize," Miatio said. "How does one apologize for such a thing?"

"Naruto-kun," Sakura said. "You don't bear any ill will do you?"

Miatio looked around, startled, as Naruto seemed to appear from thin air next to Sakura. His smile wasn't a fake one, but it wasn't energetic either.

"I don't remember you throwing anything at me Miatio-san," Naruto said softly. "I don't think that any of the people who threw stones at me are here in Konoha anymore."

"No, of course not," Miatio said emotionally. She understood Naruto's sentiment. As far as he was concerned none of it had ever happened. It was all overlooked. Blotted out…

"I guess I should have told you that Naruto and I are rarely far enough apart not to be aware of what is happening with the other," Sakura said. The senses of one able to acquire the title of Sannin reached far, even for a ninja.

"I do believe I've out shopped you," Naruto said, changing the subject abruptly. Sakura looked down at the two articles of clothing she had compared to the nearly half dozen Naruto had picked out for himself.

"I guess so," Sakura said, laughing slightly. She eyed his selections and decided that she couldn't have done _much _better herself. "Don't you dare tell Ino."

"Please, come back anytime," Miatio said earnestly as she accepted their payment. She didn't even bother to attempt to trivialize or acknowledge the past by offering to let them shop on the house.

"We would love to Miatio-san," Naruto said, smiling like his old self again.

"I'm sorry you had to hear all of that," Sakura said once they were back out on the street. Secretly she wondered how many people who now greeted Naruto with great formality and honor as their protector had once abused him.

"Don't be," Naruto said firmly. The time was long past him being bothered by the torments that had plagued his childhood. "Be happy for today, okay?"

Sakura smiled and nodded happily. Together they continued walking the streets of Konoha, sampling the many things that it had to offer to anyone enjoying a day of leisure. At the end of the journey the sun was beginning to set over Konoha and the young couple found themselves at Sakura's door.

"You're coming in," Sakura said sternly. She held the door open for a sheepish Naruto.

"I don't want to impose," Naruto said politely.

"It isn't an imposition," Sakura replied. "My Mom loves it when you visit."

"I haven't seen her in a while," Naruto acknowledged.

"I hope that poor Naruto-kun isn't too tired to stay for our evening meal," Haruno-san said. Sure enough a variety of enticing smells were filling the small flat where Sakura lived with her mother.

"He's never too tired to eat Mom," Sakura said jokingly.

"Then come in and sit down," Haruno-san said warmly. It made her very happy that her daughter seemed to have finally found the things that she wanted in life, both personal and professional. "So did you two have a fun day?"

"You bet," Naruto said enthusiastically.

"It was a nice change of pace," Sakura added. They continued to make small talk throughout their meal. Sakura finished early and excused herself for a moment.

"What's this?" Naruto asked when she dropped a small shopping bag down in front of him.

"Well, I had planned to give this to you later, but I decided there was no point to wait," Sakura said. "Go ahead and try it on."

"It's a coat," Naruto said.

"It is rated for ninja use too," Sakura said. She nodded with appreciation as Naruto slung the well fitted garment over his shoulders.

"Oh my," Haruno-san said.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Here, come look in the mirror," Sakura told him. The three went into the small adjoining room where the full length looking glass stood.

"It's uncanny isn't it," Haruno-san said.

"I thought so," Sakura said. "When I saw the style I remembered the pictures in the history books we had to read back in the academy."

"It's just like what my father used to wear," Naruto said quietly. The long flowing fabric was a mix between a cloak and an overcoat. It was decorated with tendrils of flame licking at the bottom and while it was light enough to billow out it was stiff enough to resist entangling its wearer. "Thank you Sakura-chan, it's amazing. I'll always wear it."

Haruno-san was about to comment on the sappy way that her daughter and the blonde were looking at each other when the two of them suddenly stiffened. Green eyes met blue as they both took out summoning scrolls. Somewhere in the shadows of Konoha a tiny slug and frog backed away from the darkness that slid through the empty streets.

"What's wrong?" Haruno-san asked with alarm. She knew that the senses of the Sannin reached far, even by the standards of a ninja.

"It's time," Naruto said simply.

"Mom, we've got to go," Sakura said.

"It's _him_, isn't it?" Haruno-san asked with resignation.

"Please don't worry," Sakura said. Her pack had appeared out of no where and Sakura unconsciously affixed it to her belt. "If anything happens…I love you Mom."

"Sakura," Haruno-san said anxiously, her eyes glistening, but the pair before her was already gone as if they had never existed.

"Would you like another glass Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked.

"Please," Tsunade replied. She looked at the white haired toad hermit fondly as he poured up the last of their sake.

"So, tell me," Jiraiya said. "Did I learn my lesson well?"

"I will inform Naruto that he is a very good teacher," Tsunade said teasingly. "Of course he had a good student, even if it was an old dog."

"We can't all develop talents like your's hime," Jiraiya said with a laugh.

"Oh Jiraiya," Tsunade said lightly. "Remind me why we didn't do this years ago?"

"Hm?" Jiraiya said. "If I did that then you might hit me and I don't think I could take one of your punches right now."

Tsunade laughed merrily and a moment later Jiraiya joined in. The two elder Sannin were leaning back in matching chairs in Tsunade's office. They had told the council that they had important strategic matters to attend to or something like that.

"Jiraiya, you remember that time when the old man played that trick on you?" Tsunade asked. She continued when Jiraiya didn't reply and she realized how vague her question had been. "You know…the one with the barrel of monkeys when…"

"Oh, right, that was his 'going away' gift when…" Jiraiya cut off when Tsunade unexpectedly jumped across the short distance from her chair to his. For a split second Jiraiya went into super-pervert mode as Tsunade was pressed against him, but his mirth turned to horror when he realized what was happening.

"Jiraiya," Tsunade mouthed silently. Blood was gushing from between her lips. Even muddled with drink Jiraiya still managed to quickly pull her away from where they were deeper into the dark office.

"I'll kill you," Jiraiya snarled into the empty space. Tsunade had just saved him from death, but all Jiraiya could think was that the price had been too high. A blade appeared through his shoulder and pain blossomed through the toad hermit's body.

"You," Jiraiya said. He had slumped against the wall, his arms cradling Tsunade's bleeding form protectively. "What do you think you're doing brat?"

"Trimming the fat," the dark figure replied flatly. His blade came up, crackling with energy, and swung toward the pair with economical deadliness. The blade sliced clean through both Jiraiya and Tsunade, but an instant later the pair disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"It's been a long time," Naruto said as he appeared behind the dark figure along with Sakura.

The only answer was the scream of a jutsu and the sound of the office's wall being demolished. Rooftops flew by as pursuer and pursued raced toward the edge of the village. Then rooftops turned to trees and before long all three parties were deep in the gathering darkness of the great forest surrounding Konoha.

Then, with all the abruptness of the beginning of the chase, the dark figure stopped.

"Well, well, well," a voice said condescendingly. "You seem to have picked up some trash on your way back."

"I was thinking that it's about time we ended all this," Naruto called out. Sakura glanced at him and noted that Naruto's expression was becoming more fox-like by the minute, just like the last time.

"And what prey tell is that?" the voice asked. From the tree branch that the dark figure was standing on another figure began to emerge and take shape. Through the darkness one last ray of sunlight managed to reach into the forest.

"You're mine Orochimaru," Naruto growled.

"You're not worth Orochimaru-sama's time dobe," Sasuke said, finally breaking his silence. "These eyes have already taken your measure."

"Interesting," Orochimaru said, his tongue flicking out as if to taste the air. "I think I'll let you play around a bit."

Sasuke indulged in a small smile and twisted his blade in anticipation. The distinctive appearance of his Sharingan eyes seemed to glow large, even in the dusk.

"I'll handle Sasuke," Sakura said sharply. She had donned her surgical gauntlets and made a rather ominous clicking sound with the metal tips. "You kill the snake. Today we Sannin will clean up our mess once and for all."

"I already told you," Sasuke said tersely. "I won't allow it."

"You won't have a choice," Sakura replied. Her green eyes seemed to bore into his body mercilessly. "This time you're coming back to Konoha even if I have to break every bone in your body."

* * *

AN: The time has arrived… Sakura vs. Sasuke; Naruto vs. Orochimaru

All reviews are welcome; thanks for reading.


	9. Sakura vs Sasuke

Chapter 9 – Sakura vs. Sasuke

A strong wind blew steadily through the darkening forests of Konoha, but it was barely noticed by three figures as they regarded each other in the last flecks of light. Sasuke's eyes could see perfectly fine in the dark and he had a feeling that Sakura's could as well as he was able to detect a slight animalistic glow from them as she looked at him with more boldness than anyone ought ever to look at an Uchiha. It bothered him, the way his pathetic former teammate stood there passively.

"Yo, dobe, didn't you say something about confronting Orochimaru-sama?" Sasuke asked. Naruto was always on a short emotional fuse. His reaction should be good for a little warm up amusement.

"You mean you seriously haven't noticed?" Sakura asked. She still didn't move, but rather stood like a statue with her arms crossed as her clothes billowed forward in a buffeting wind.

Sasuke poured more chakra into his Sharingan eyes, but before he could reply Sakura's arm shot out to deliver a savage backhanded blow to Naruto. However, instead of dying the blonde's form burst into smoke and dissipated.

"Naruto left when your master did," Sakura said curtly. "I think they've got enough distance away from us now that we won't be disturbed."

Sasuke cursed inwardly. Orochimaru-sama would not be pleased that he had allowed the dobe to sneak past him in such a fashion.

"I've been thinking about this day for a long time Sasuke-kun," Sakura said as she leapt to a branch situated a bit closer to her target. "That seal…it's got to go…"

"No!" Sasuke thought to himself anxiously. He immediately calmed down. His seal was very important to his long term goals. He needed its power and he would not give it up no matter what.

"Do you still labor under the delusion that you can save me?" Sasuke asked sneeringly. "That I need saving?"

"If you want to say that," Sakura said. "Say it once I've removed that seal from your neck."

Sasuke sprang forward unexpectedly, snakes pouring forth from his sleeves to distract Sakura from the deadly tip of his sword. The blade sunk into Sakura's chest and the snakes bit into her arms, but Sasuke was disengaging before he had even finished landing the first blow. Sakura's body melted away into tiny slugs that disappeared as they hit the forest floor. Without missing a beat Sasuke turned and engaged the real Sakura who had appeared behind him. His sword intercepted her metallic claws before they could sink into him.

"Do you think I've forgotten?" Sasuke asked. If there was one thing Orochimaru had drilled into his head over the last few years it was that even the most formidable opponent could inevitably be distracted or goaded into error by using the right leverage. "That day when we said goodbye?"

When Sakura didn't reply Sasuke grinned slightly. He pressed forward with some of his best tai-jutsu and was rewarded by the feeling of his opponent giving ground. Despite Sakura's massive strength Sasuke managed to dodge her blows or absorb them within the coils of the many snakes that were enveloping his body constantly.

"Tell me, Sakura-_chan_," Sasuke said in little more than a condescending whisper. "Would you still do _anything_ for me?"

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura replied bitterly as she threw another punch and then sidestepped to put some distance between herself and him. "This is the anything I'd do for you. Don't you see that Naruto-kun and I have always been trying to be there for you?"

Sasuke laughed sharply and threw a dozen metallic stars. Several of them fell to the ground in pieces while the others flew away into the night.

"So you fell for the dobe?" Sasuke said as he interpreted her words and tried to gauge how best to distract her. "What about the _feelings_ you practically bled during all that time."

Sakura bounded forward and delivered another blow to Sasuke's snake covered midriff before raising her hands together over her head. Sasuke brought up a thick python to block her downward blow only to have his body bashed through the tree limb he was standing on with such force that he dug out a small pit in the ground where he impacted far below.

The night was briefly lit up by the flash of excessive chakra as Sakura slammed fist first into the ground like a missile in an attempt to follow up on her attack against Sasuke. Trees groaned and bent backward from the waves of excessive chakra that rolled off of her full powered blow. Sasuke appeared on a low branch a few yards away and realized with annoyance that his old teammate had been withholding a portion of her strength in order to lull him into blocking some of her blows rather than dodging.

"I'm not the same person now as the one you knew," Sakura said as she tossed her short hair with a casual flip of her head. "I still care for you Sasuke-kun, but the feelings I have toward you are totally different than I had when we were still kids.

"As for what I feel for Naruto-kun…" Sakura said as she clutched at her chest figuratively. "He is the first person that I've had such feelings for…"

"You're still the same mess you were all those years ago," Sasuke spat out with distaste.

"Feelings are not a weakness," Sakura replied as she sped in for another round of close combat.

"For once we agree," Sasuke said as he blurred with speed only to reappear with his face scant inches from Sakura's. "Let me show you the strength of my hatred."

Sakura tried to move but found herself paralyzed by the Sharingan eyes. Suddenly, for the first time in a long while, Sakura felt a genuine chill of fear as the black commas in Sasuke's red eyes shifted into long angular gashes. In a flash she found herself in an introverted world of bizarre colors and surreal sensations.

"These eyes are the proof of my hatred," Sasuke snarled. This world was much like his brother's own Tsukuyomi, but it differed in minor ways because he had developed it on his own without the guidance of another Sharingan user.

Sakura also recognized the world and comprehended its purpose thanks to information that Konoha had gathered as a result of past engagements with Itachi. She had hoped that Sasuke's eyes would be incapable of creating such a place, or at the very least that she would have been able to evade it. Luck was not on her side today.

"I see you know of this place," Sasuke said. He looked up at where Sakura was hanging by her neck from a cord tied to a twisted looking tree. Her hands and legs were also bound so that she could do nothing but twist in the imaginary breeze of the Sharingan created world. Sakura's eyes snapped open.

"It matches the description of Itachi's Tsukuyomi," Sakura replied eerily. Only her voice didn't come from the listless body before him. Instead it came from directly behind. Sasuke didn't have time to whirl around before a katana blade burst from his chest in a spray of bloody gore.

"What are you?" Sasuke gasped. Blood poured from his mouth and he unexpectedly found himself nailed to a cross.

"We Haruno have some secrets of our own," Sakura said. Her form multiplied until a dozen Sakura clones stood in a ring around him, each with a long katana held high. As one they all stabbed Sasuke with their blades, but to their disconcertion he didn't react.

"Don't mistake your family's illness for a counter to my technique," Sasuke hissed. Snakes burst from the ground and wrapped themselves around the multitude of Sakura's. The pink haired girl felt the air being crushed from her lungs over and over again.

"I'm out," Sakura thought to herself after what had seemed to be days of grueling move and counter move. She looked over to Sasuke and noted that he appeared to have emerged from the ordeal in much better shape than she had, though he too had suffered more than he had likely intended to in exchange for torturing her mind.

Sakura darted a hand into her equipment pouch and extracted a brace of kunai. She knew that if she wanted to take Sasuke alive then she would have to step up the attrition against him before she became too exhausted. As she moved her arm to send the kunai flying toward their target she noticed Sasuke's eyes were spinning in a way that could only be a prelude to some kind of technique. She attempted to dodge the instant the blades left her hand, but was completely unprepared for the intense blast of energy that slammed into her as a result of Sasuke's gaze.

"Genjutsu," Sakura realized a moment later. Sasuke had used his eyes to simulate an attack, but that knowledge did nothing to reduce the pain in Sakura's shoulder. It also did nothing to repair the distorted trajectory of the kunai that Sakura had thrown. Sasuke unleashed a hail of shuriken as his body was briefly illuminated by multiple explosions set off by tags on Sakura's errant kunai.

Sakura nimbly dodged the whirling blades and charged toward Sasuke. She needed to get into melee range fast to settle the matter with her superior strength and disabling medical techniques. Sasuke, however, seemed to be well informed about her strategies and danced away. There was no need for him to risk fighting his former teammate hand to hand when he had other more palatable options available to him. Sakura shuddered with pain as the shuriken she had dodged earlier returned thanks to the thin wires that Sasuke had attached to them. Sakura evaded again, each time with less room to spare as the chakra guided wires closed the proverbial noose around her.

"Ryuuka no Jutsu," Sasuke intoned. Sakura was familiar with the technique as a standard C Rank fire based attack, but with the level of expertise and chakra that Sasuke was putting into the assault she recognized her deadly peril immediately. Massive torrents of fire followed the multiple guide wires out where they recombined and converged upon Sakura's vulnerable form.

The night was lit up again, magnificently, as the fire exploded in a roar that sucked the oxygen out of the surrounding atmosphere in a rush that ultimately caused the flame to self-extinguish. Sakura dropped down to the forest floor with a splash as the water cocoon that she had created with an elemental technique sloshed away.

"That's right, run, hide, escape," Sasuke thought as he looked on grim faced. His hands flew through hand seals as he regurgitated the vast store of ninjutsu that Orochimaru had taught him. Sakura was holding onto one limp arm and nursing her left leg as the long ranged techniques continued to rain down on her mercilessly.

Sakura dug in her heel and rotated toward Sasuke's position. She applied a healing technique to her injured arm as she closed the distance on her target in preparation for attack, but as she got closer the streams of fire and chakra began to more accurately track her. Sakura ran low to the ground, her cheeks puffing out as she spat out a hail of poison tipped needles into the maelstrom of jutsu that Sasuke was putting out in the hopes that he might miss them in the chaotic quasi-darkness.

"Goukakyuu no Jutsu," Sasuke said as he twirled his sword to make an impromptu barrier against the incoming needles. His eyes saw every detail of the battle regardless of light levels or the multitude of things happening.

Sakura saw the onrushing fireball and began pushing charka outside of her body such that it formed a thin layer on her fist. With that protection in place she swung with as much enhanced strength as she could, chakra against chakra, and pulverized the coherence of Sasuke's attack. As Sasuke saw his Great Fireball explode harmlessly in the face of Sakura's blow he leapt backwards to gain more distance in hopes of leading Sakura and further wearing her down. Sakura abruptly stopped and started swinging her fists rapidly. For an instant nothing happened, but then Sasuke saw that at the apex of each swing Sakura was expelling a small coherent pellet of chakra.

Sasuke dodged, and then executed a replacement technique, but he still felt several bites from near misses. The trees around the position where he had stood had been churned up with dozens of gashes and holes. Sakura whirled around and sent yet another barrage of chakra pellets streaming toward Sasuke, but again he flitted away, this time unscathed.

"You should know that you can't defeat these eyes," Sasuke said. "I know what you're going to do before you do."

"Don't forget who I am," Sakura retorted. "If you're so proud of those eyes then why don't I show you their limits?"

Sakura wiped off some blood and pressed her hands down in a summoning technique. A fat red and yellow spotted slug appeared from the cloud of smoke that puffed out from the technique. Sasuke looked on with a mix of disgust and unwilling curiosity as Sakura bit into the slug like some kind of predator feeding. For a few seconds she gorged on the watery, spongy flesh of the slug, but her eyes never left Sasuke. Sasuke shook his head slightly from unexpected dizziness and when he focused on Sakura again he immediately noticed that her skin had taken on the same colorful pattern of the slug she had consumed.

"You're already feeling it, aren't you?" Sakura asked as she wiped some of the slug's undistinguishable innards from her mouth. "The perfection of your vision will be a curse each time you look at this skin of mine."

Sasuke's eyes faded back to their plain Sharingan form as he averted his gaze away from her directly. Each time he saw the bizarre swirling patterns on her skin he was overcome with a strong sense of vertigo and pain. He gritted his teeth and leapt away as fast as he could to engage Sakura at point blank range. It was the last thing she would expect.

Sakura winced as she blocked Sasuke's sword with her kunai and used her chakra scalpels to rip through the twisting coils of snakes that continually burst out of Sasuke's deceptively loose fitting clothing.

The sound of a thousand chirping birds filled Sakura's ears just in time for her to counter Sasuke's chidori with her own chakra scalpels. She used her superior strength to throw Sasuke's chidori hand in an outward arch, but before she could exploit the opening left to his torso Sasuke pivoted away. Sparks flew as once again chakra created weapon scraped against chakra. Sakura lunged forward and allowed Sasuke to rake her with his chidori in exchange for landing a solid blow to his chest. Sasuke was repelled back, but he surged forward again in a flash despite what must have at least been a wind taking blow. As he rushed toward Sakura he drew his sword again and charged the blade with his chidori.

Sakura stood her ground, position her arms in a stance designed to counter swords in a way uniquely suited to someone of her talents. As Sasuke stabbed at her heart Sakura reversed the position of her arms, then again, and finally a third time. Each time her arms transposed they acted like a pair of scissors and between them was Sasuke's blade. Sasuke drew back and tossed his sword aside. Sakura had snapped the blade off three times in rapid succession until all that was left was the hilt.

"I really am going to have to break bones," Sakura thought to herself as she tried not to show how heavily she was breathing.

Sakura's body shuddered under a blow as her chakra scalpels repelled Sasuke's chidori yet again. Kakashi had once told her that Sasuke's chakra capacity potential was on the same level as Naruto's and Sakura was becoming a believer as she observed with dismay that he was able to keep up with her strength despite how much energy it cost him. While there was no way he could overpower her, he could make sure that she was unable to overpower him.

Sakura bore down hard on Sasuke's hand and felt a flash of triumph as she managed to break his technique. The feeling was short lived as Sasuke took the opportunity to dip beneath her defenses and bury his fist in her stomach. She reeled back from blows so hard that her body was visibly distorted from the power of his punches.

"You're annoying," Sasuke said as he eyed her warily. A few tell tale markings with the shape of black flame had begun to creep across his skin in response to the punishment he was taking at Sakura's hands. His eyes had been able to see the gentle touches that Sakura has landed on him as he pummeled her, but his body had been unable to dodge as her medical techniques severed internal tissues.

"No matter how much things change," Sakura said. Blood was running down profusely from her mouth and nose. With her skill it was easy to know exactly how many ribs had been broken even as she poured forth chakra to mitigate the damage. "It seems that some things always remain the same, neh, Sasuke-kun?"

As if on some invisible signal the two rushed together yet again. Sakura leapt over a thin stream of fire and Sasuke avoided a brief hail of chakra pellets before they were again trading blows. Sakura caught one of Sasuke's arms with her own forearm, then the other, and leveraged it so that he couldn't disengage without leaving himself open. There was a loud crack as Sasuke's skull collided with Sakura's, effectively breaking them apart.

Sakura staggered back dazed and Sasuke moved in for the kill. Crackling chakra engulfed his hand yet again as he approached fast and low intended to impale her through the heart with a single fast jab. Sakura caught the maneuver, but could do nothing to prevent the blow from landing except to allow her left leg to go limp. She hit the ground hard, but still had the presence of mind to bring her legs together in a scissor kick that caught up Sasuke's legs.

Her head had begun to stop ringing as she gained her feet, but Sasuke still had the advantage. Sakura lashed out and for the first time her chakra scalpels found their mark. Sasuke grimaced as the razor edges bit deep into his vitals and even cried out with pain as Sakura used her momentum to bring her great strength to bear against his limbs. Shattering bone tore into rent flesh, but Sasuke had at last found the opening that he had sought for the entire battle. Sakura attempted to slip out of the way, but in a twisted repeat of history Sasuke's hand plunged through her lung, just barely missing her heart.

"It's over," Sasuke said as he pushed her limp body off of his arm. He knew of only one person who could survive such a finishing blow.

The oppressive weight of vast quantities of chakra fell down on Sasuke's shoulders. He looked on with disbelief as Sakura began to glow at five points, each of which exuded power. Her hand slowly moved up to cover the hole in her chest and when she removed it an instant later the wound was completely gone. Indeed, all of her wounds had seemingly disappeared.

The black flame like markings that had been partially covering Sasuke's face rushed across the rest of his body in a flash as he called upon the power of his seal. As his mastery of the seal had improved so too had the seal's properties been enhanced. He could feel his flesh and bones restoring themselves under the accelerated tissue generation of the seal which was also responsible for the rapid appearance of the hand like wings on his back. Their emergence was just in time as Sakura stormed him with renewed vigor, her seals continuing to pour chakra into her. Her first hammer blow was barely blocked by a great leathery wing.

Sakura didn't have time to marvel at how the spiny looking wing managed to absorb one of her most powerful punches before the protrusion flared open and latched onto her upper torso. In an instant Sasuke's wing had thrown her bodily into a nearby tree with crushing force. Sasuke tensed himself in preparation of chasing after her tumbling body in order to take advantage of her imbalance, but before he could move the wing that had tossed Sakura away was riddled with multiple explosions.

Sakura stood up groggily and continued to pour her reserve chakra into healing to allow her body to keep up with Sasuke's seal. She could see the spines that made up his wing regenerating themselves with the same unnatural growth that formed them in the first place.

"I had planned to save this for the dobe," Sasuke growled as he formed hand seals. "This isn't something I learned from Orochimaru-sama. This is my own technique!"

Sakura shielded her eyes from the rush of air and blast of bright light that radiated off of Sasuke's body as he completed his technique. Years of medical training with external chakra enabled Sakura to comprehend what she was looking at immediately, though she had never before considered that such a thing could be possible. Any academy student knew that chakra was created at a cellular level and passed through the body's many pathways until it coalesced in the chakra coils where it could be utilized by one trained in the ninja arts. Sasuke had taken that knowledge regarding the wellspring of chakra and developed a technique that accelerated the process selectively. The result was something of a transmutation. Flesh into chakra. The outer layer of his body had been converted into a pure sheen of tremendous chakra.

"It's too bad really," Sasuke said manically. "You can't appreciate this the same way that Naruto could!"

"The cloak of the fox," Sakura said sadly. Naruto rarely used that technique anymore and for good reason. Its power was not made for mortals.

"He's faster," Sakura thought as Sasuke rushed in. She dodged his first blow and then scrambled away from his reach when she saw the effect of his blow. The chakra that Sasuke had turned his outer layers of flesh into was toxic. Everything he touched burned and hissed uncontrollably. Even her chakra scalpels were hopelessly outmatched.

"You can't escape anymore," Sasuke said exultingly.

"It'll have to do," Sakura thought as she realized that she could no longer slip her techniques under his defenses. She formed hand seals quickly and poured as much chakra as she could into her final technique.

Sasuke staggered in mid-stride as an anguished cry escaped his lips. His arms and legs contorted horribly followed shortly by the sickening crack of bones throughout his entire body. He tried to lurch forward, one mangled arm reaching toward Sakura defiantly, but in the end he crashed backwards into a beaten heap.

"Wha-wha-t…d-did…you…do…to me?" Sasuke asked through painful ragged breaths.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun," Sakura said mournfully. "Since this fight began I have been slipping small bits of my chakra blades into your body. Once inside they worked their way down to your bones and with my technique they've severed those connections. The chakra will remain to keep the damage pried open until I've removed that seal."

"C-Can't…do…this…" Sasuke said, his eyes boring their hate into the pink haired girl.

Sakura leaned down and looked at him, her eyes lingering on his for just a moment too long. A burst of pain exploded in the center of her skull as Sasuke's eye's rotated furiously with his final attack. Blood streamed down from Sakura's nose, mouth, and eyes as the three black commas in Sasuke's eyes tried one last time to prevail against her defenses. With a visible pulse of chakra Sakura's deep green eyes battled back and she fell away, exhausted, but free from Sasuke's final gasp.

Sasuke sagged back into himself even more, seemingly in disbelief and horror at what had just transpired. Sakura avoided his eyes as she again leaned over him to begin the process of seal removal. She formed hand seals that caused a large totem to rise up out of the ground. The totem had four faces carved into it, one pristinely beautiful, one twisted into the depths of depravity with rage, and two which bore no expression or features at all.

"Those eyes," Sasuke said after a long while. Sakura didn't reply, but instead continued with the ceremony so Sasuke went on. "How much of that body you were born with do you have left anyway?"

"Enough," Sakura said sharply.

"Perhaps Orochimaru picked the wrong member of Team Seven," Sasuke pressed. "Those eyes, you definitely didn't have them before."

"A medical ninja takes advantage of all opportunities," Sakura replied evenly.

"Lies," Sasuke spat. "You're so desperate to take my seal, but you didn't get those eyes through any medical technique. Eyes like those can only be acquired in three ways. You weren't born with them, you certainly didn't get them from a summoning pact, so that only leaves…"

"Naruto," Sakura interrupted. "We've been preparing for this day for a long time. These eyes did their job and now Naruto can do his."

"Dobe," Sasuke muttered. "Orochimaru-sama is the worst possible opponent for someone like Naruto."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked quickly.

"Orochimaru's experiment," Sasuke said, grinning. "It was a success after all."

"What experiment," Sakura asked. "What are you talking about?"

"It is an experiment you should know well," Sasuke said. "After all, it's given Orochimaru a power that you once witnessed. The power of the First Hokage himself…"

"The First Hokage?" Sakura repeated. Her eyes widened slightly as she considered the implications. "Then Naruto…"

"Is already dead," Sasuke said.

* * *

Thanks to all those who read and review. I'm pretty busy right now so I'm actually a little surprised that I got this finished. No estimate on when the next chapter will arrive, but it'll be Naruto vs. Orochimaru so look foward to it! 


	10. Orochimaru vs Naruto

Chapter 10 – Orochimaru vs. Naruto

"Kukukuku," the sound of Orochimaru's laughter filled the blackness of night as the evil Sannin brought himself to a stop as his keen perceptions sensed the presence of a nearby threat. An unexpected person had come chasing after him.

"Our business together isn't finished yet, Orochimaru," Naruto said flatly as he landed with a thud on a branch behind Orochimaru's position.

"Business?" Orochimaru repeated, his back still turned to Naruto. "Are you sure you have time for that? My apprentice is in the other direction."

"Sakura-chan can handle Sasuke," Naruto replied.

"My, my, so full of confidence," Orochimaru said. He turned around slowly, his tongue lolling out grotesquely. "I'm afraid that Sasuke-kun is capable of many surprises. Even when an opponent thinks they've won against him, they still die."

"Believe what you want," Naruto retorted. "Nothing will change."

"Too true," Orochimaru said. His peculiar laugh rang out through the night. "Since you managed to sneak past Sasuke-kun it might be interesting to play with you for a while."

"I'm not here for your games Orochimaru," Naruto said angrily. Without looking he brought his forearm up to block the thrusting strike of the Sword of Kusanagi as it protruded from the mouth of a snake that had appeared out of the trunk of the tree Naruto was standing on.

"I insist," Orochimaru said sinisterly. He leapt forward, snakes blossoming from his sleeves. Naruto deflected several more sword strikes as he nimbly leapt back. As he landed he inhaled deeply and released an intense stream of flame into the onrush of snakes to incinerate them completely.

Orochimaru burst through the flame unharmed and attempted to land a series of blows utilizing his most complex styles of hand to hand combat. To his surprise Naruto managed to match his moves in a way that only another master of the style should be able to do. That knowledge, however, enabled him to dodge in time as Naruto twisted unnaturally and attempted to bury a kunai in his side.

"I see my old comrade has trained you in the forbidden arts as well," Orochimaru said.

"Ancient wisdom wasn't forbidden until your excesses," Naruto said. He dug his heels in firmly and whipped his head around savagely whilst calling upon his connection to the toads. A long thick tongue snapped out like a whip and decimated the tree that Orochimaru was perched upon. Again and again the snake Sannin was forced to leap aside in order to avoid the fast moving appendage until at last it snared his arm to send him flying down into the ground.

Snakes burst up and twisted themselves around Naruto before flexing powerful muscles to crush his body, but their coils contracted around nothingness. The sword of Kusanagi appeared out of Orochimaru's mouth just in time to deflect the incoming hail of metallic objects that Naruto had hurled. The pale ninja began to form hand seals, but then staggered under the barrage of vibrations that bore down on him from the objects he had just deflected. Rock cracked and Orochimaru lost his footing for a split second, which was all Naruto needed to appear next to him, his body covered with toads.

Orochimaru absorbed one blow, wincing with pain, before dipping away under a second. He retaliated with a short burst of flame, but one of the small toads swallowed the fire whole. The toads that had been clinging to Naruto detached and bounded away. They would be of more use as a distraction, Naruto realized, than they would be going up against the wall of blades that Orochimaru employed using his sword of Kusanagi.

With Orochimaru dancing away outside of melee range yet again Naruto formed more seals, his chest swelling, and spat out a series of small red chakra pellets. Orochimaru shuddered visibly as one of the pellets impacted his body and began to eat it away in a chain reaction. His mouth opened wide as he shed his skin and poured out intact as the remains of his discarded form was consumed.

"Rasengan," Naruto yelled as the swirling ball of chakra in his hand burst through Orochimaru's stomach. Instead of crying out in pain Orochimaru twisted around unnaturally and sank his fangs into Naruto's shoulder. Naruto's body melted away and a second later Orochimaru's did as well. Sword wielding snakes converged on the open field where they began stabbing into the ground. Dozens of frogs dislodged themselves from the mud, doing battle with the snakes, but they quickly popped out of existence as the blade found its target again and again. Finally Naruto himself was forced to leap up out of the dirt and decimate the snakes with another flame technique.

"Kukuku," Orochimaru said in his traditional half spoken laughter. "What do you think you're trying to do with that kind of technique?"

Naruto appeared in front of the snake Sannin, the rasengan still in his hand, but he didn't say a word. Staying ahead of the elder ninja's moves was taxing his concentration to its limits. Despite the appearance of the battle Naruto knew how closely he had come to death as a result of Orochimaru's powerful sword. As he eyed his opponent he began to calculate how best to eliminate that blade from their battle.

"I liked you better when you were a noisy brat, Naruto-kun," Orochimaru said. His eyes narrowed as he, for the first time, began to evaluate anew the nature of the opponent that he now faced in Naruto. His teeth clenched involuntarily as he remembered an old defeat at the hands of another ninja that looked much too similar to the one before him for comfort. No, there was no longer any doubt about it, the trials didn't lie.

Orochimaru brought his hands up in a reflexive defense and repulsed the onslaught of three shadow clones. His excellent senses felt Naruto's rasengan coming in for a death blow long before it arrived and accordingly his sword intercepted the technique. Naruto was barely able to dodge as the blade hardened impossibly and split his technique in half; dissipating the tight currents of chakra that made it up. He quickly slashed downward again, but Naruto had already repositioned to guard against the attack with massive amounts of chakra flowing through the metal strips that lined his forearms to defend against long bladed weapons.

Snakes and frog tongues whipped out from the opposing ninja. Orochimaru quickly shed his skin again and Naruto's shadow clone replacement disappeared as each annihilated the other with their techniques. Chakra from another smashed rasengan exploded like a hail of sparks as Naruto took another shot at Orochimaru's sword.

"Secret Technique: Flowering Sakura: Model Gladius," Naruto called out. He gritted his teeth in anticipation of the pain he was about to experience as many tiny petals of chakra formed a sword like form in his hand. The sword like technique would still shield him from his greater technique, but not as perfectly as the Sakura Aegis. For that trade off he would be able to channel the power of his greater technique into an even more effective weapon.

"Wind Release: Spiraling Shuriken," Naruto said as he completed the technique. The petals of chakra began to move under the influence of the maelstrom they contained until it appeared as if Naruto were holding a sword of churning chakra.

Even as the blade was still solidifying in his grasp Orochimaru descended onto his position with a long sweeping blow of his Kusanagi. He had recognized the threat of Naruto's new technique, even though he had never seen it before, and had quickly ejected his legendary blade from where he had kept it hidden within his summon. His eyes narrowed when his attack did nothing more than shave a few pink petals from Naruto's sword, which were quickly replaced by more behind them.

"Naruto-kun," Orochimaru snarled. "I can see Jiraiya is still the same buffoon that he was all those years ago. I should never have left him alive to interfere with my plans like this."

"Scum," Naruto muttered. Their blades scraped along each other as they vied for the advantage. "What do you have against the Jiraiya and the old lady anyway? Weren't they your comrades? Didn't you do great things together?"

"Kukuku," Orochimaru laughed. "You shouldn't take everything so personally Naruto-kun. My ambition now is the same as it has always been. Now more than ever Konoha is the pillar upon which this world's stability depends. Once that support has been removed the furnace of invention will be fired by the heat of war. In the chaos that follows I will become the eternal Kami of Shinobi."

"No matter how many lifetimes you steal your ambition is impossible," Naruto replied disgustedly.

"Kukuku, I have already done the impossible," Orochimaru said gloatingly. "All that remains is the final destruction of Konoha's power, the power of the Sannin."

"Even if you kill every other Sannin," Naruto said as snakes blossomed out from Orochimaru's body. "Konoha will never be destroyed so long as its people remain."

"My old sensei said nearly the same thing," Orochimaru replied tauntingly. "And then he died!"

Naruto's blade clashed with Orochimaru's as dozens of snakes, each baring swords, prepared to envelope him. His free hand quickly formed seals and suddenly his body bristled with replicas of his own Sakura Gladius which whirled around him to form a slashing shield that eviscerated the summoned attackers.

As the small snakes disappeared Naruto finally felt the change that he had been looking for. His blade crashed down against Orochimaru's triumphantly. The snake Sannin staggered back, his Kusanagi shattered, as Naruto pressed his advantage.

"You should never have brought your weapon back into this world," Naruto said as he buried his technique in Orochimaru's chest.

"The mysteries of the sword of Kusanagi were never revealed to Jiraiya," Orochimaru replied, his smile belying his mortal wound. In a flash a snake emerged from beneath his sleeve and once more the sword of Kusanagi burst forth. With the proximity of the two ninja Naruto was unable to dodge as the blade sank into his chest in precisely the same location in which he had impaled Orochimaru. Blood trickled down from Naruto's mouth as his body went limp. "You should have known that something like this couldn't kill me."

"I could say the same to you," Naruto replied, smiling with bloody teeth. His body immolated, and then dissolved entirely into a terrible black flame that clung to the sword of Kusanagi.

"The demon's own burning chakra," Orochimaru said approvingly as the inferno died down. Naruto's body emerged from a nearby patch of flame and reformed just in time for him to see that the sword had survived his attack. "Even the nine-tails cannot undo a blade such as this."

"Such a thing doesn't belong with one like you," Naruto said.

"Who else could appreciate an eternal blade except another immortal?" Orochimaru asked as he surged forward again, his legs transforming into the tail of a serpent. He closed quickly and attempted to engage Naruto in hand to hand combat, but his punches went through the blonde's body as it dissolved into black fox flame.

"You shouldn't be so careless with your chakra," Orochimaru said. He formed a dozen hand seals before planting his palm in Naruto's face, causing him to stagger backwards as the flaming chakra turned to dust and fell away from his body.

"How-," Naruto cut off with a gurgle as Orochimaru's blade pierced his chest yet again, but this time there was no escaping it. Blood poured out from between his lips as his lung filled even as the Kusanagi continued to impale him.

"A pity that our fun had to end so soon," Orochimaru said condescendingly. His eyes narrowed as he realized that Naruto lips had parted to reveal a bloody grin.

"It isn't over yet," Naruto said. His hand grasped the blade tip and with a rush he had propelled himself far away from Orochimaru.

"No!" Orochimaru shouted when he realized what had happened. He couldn't believe the gall of his blonde opponent. He had taken the blow on purpose!

A great pair of hands formed from red chakra lifted themselves out of Naruto's back and drew the sword out. There was a metallic clatter as the now corporeal blade dropped to the floor, its hilt sporting a strange triangular seal.

"This wound is a small effort to deprive you of that weapon," Naruto said. The hole in his flesh was already beginning to quiver under the influence of his tenant's healing effects.

"Foolish," Orochimaru snarled. He tilted his head back to allow a snake to emerge from his mouth. From within the snake a scroll appeared and Orochimaru quickly unrolled it to summon a brace of five short red rods. The implements were thrown like daggers into the soil around Orochimaru where they began to glow with chakra. "The price of my sword will be higher than you imagined."

Naruto dashed forward, despite his wound still being incompletely healed, when he saw Orochimaru forming the seals for a complex summoning technique. Before he could breach the seal form that was etching itself into the ground the entire clearing erupted in a bright red flame. He fell over, groaning with agony, as the chakra in his body boiled over with unrestrained madness.

Sakura formed more seals, sweat standing out on her brow from the difficulty and tedium of her task. The totem that she had summoned shook slightly as chakra arched out of Sasuke's body and struck it as if it were lightening.

Sasuke's muscles contracted with agony as the ceremony proceeded, but he could do nothing more than quiver in boneless rage at what was happening. Sakura had placed a strip of seal adorned paper over each eye so that he would be unable to muster up a distraction during the final phases of the removal process. While the seals suppressed his bloodline they did not completely obscure his vision.

"Heh…heh…" Sasuke said, panting heavily. "You are…going…to die."

"Not today," Sakura said. She brought one hand up in front of her face and began performing more seals. Her other hand reached back into her pack and withdrew a summoning scroll. Sasuke could hear the sound of something being summoned and looked out from beneath the thin strips of paper to see that it was a body.

"What are you doing?" he asked laboriously. How could _Sakura_ know enough about the seal to bring a _living_ body?

"You should know exactly what I'm doing by now," Sakura replied.

"You're sacrificing him," Sasuke said.

"This ninja's bounty wasn't worth as much to me as his body," Sakura said.

"No, stop it," Sasuke pleaded as Sakura began forming more seals. "I can help you if you stop. You don't want Naruto to die do you? I can tell you how to defeat Orochimaru; I can bring Konoha thousands of new techniques. I can tell you about At-"

Sasuke cut off in gurgle as Sakura's hand shot out and grasped his throat tightly. Instead of choking him to death, however, her fingers began to sink beneath the skin. Chakra blazed out and coiled up her arm destroying the outer layer of flesh to reveal the appendage's true nature. Sakura was unharmed and undaunted by the coiling blasts of chakra that traveled up the black chitinous shell that made up her stolen arm.

With a great deal of effort, even for Sakura's massive strength, she began to slowly extract a familiar looking humanoid demon. It snarled and lashed out at her ineffectively as she pulled it from Sasuke's body an inch at a time until its entire upper torso, including its great hand like wings, were exposed. Sasuke's protests were silenced only by pain as Sakura's mouth extended unnaturally as she began to consume the chakra form demon. It was a twisted and grotesque sight to see her slowly chewing up the slate grey demon even as it thrashed and struggled against her. Once the process had begun, however, there was no escape.

Sakura sagged back, her task nearly finished, as she felt the seal beast raging inside her trying to assert itself, but unable to thanks to her preparations. Still, she couldn't keep it contained for long without ending up like Sasuke, but that was what her suspended bounty head was for. Sasuke was barely lucid as the pain receded, but he still witnessed something eerily similar to what had occurred to him so many years ago. Sakura's teeth elongated into fangs as she bent over the prone form of the ninja she had summoned to bite him neatly in the neck; the demon flowing from her into the newly created seal. Caught up in her stasis technique the ill fated ninja didn't even grimace before popping back into the seal drawn upon Sakura's summoning scroll.

"It's finished," Sakura pronounced. Sasuke didn't respond, he just stared off into space, the Sharingan fading from his eyes.

"You'll thank me, someday," Sakura said softly, mostly to herself. She looked down at herself and realized that her concealment techniques had mostly been burned away. With Naruto's insights into the nature of the elusive demons of chakra that existed on the edges of the world she had summoned various such creatures whose abilities had been required for situations like this.

With her own chakra reserves almost completely gone it was difficult to repair the damage that had been done to her, let alone that which had been done to Sasuke, but somehow she had made herself presentable by the time she felt the approaching ANBU pursuers arrive at her location.

"Haruno-sama," the lead ANBU said as his squad appeared on the scene. He took in the surroundings quickly and realized that the broken twisted figure lying at the pink haired Sannin's feet was none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

"You defeated the Sharingan user?" another ANBU asked. The Sharingan was so legendary amongst most Konoha ninja that few believed it could be defeated by a single individual.

"I have removed the cursed seal from Sasuke-kun," Sakura said authoritatively. "Captain, I want you to assign three of your men to take him back to Konoha as quickly as possible. His eyes are sealed and his bones should not be able to heal rapidly without the influence of the seal so there shouldn't be any complications. You and the rest of your squad must come with me immediately to-"

She was unable to finish her statement before the night sky was rent open by a towering pillar of flaming chakra which was quickly following by an ear shattering concussive shock wave that crashed over the forest.

"Haruno-sama, that chakra, it feels like the demon fox's chakra," the Captain said. He noted with dismay that Sakura appeared to be almost entirely out of chakra herself as they leapt through the thrashing trees toward the site of the commotion. The sky was still glowing with a bright red hue from some light source that was just outside their sight.

"It's worse than that," Sakura said tersely. "Orochimaru has somehow managed to incorporate the abilities of the First into his physiology. Naruto is in danger."

Sakura pushed forward and the ANBU squad followed. For what seemed like an agonizingly long period of time they sped through the forest until they emerged into a vast clearing that contained a terrible sight. In the middle of the barren battlefield stood the towering colossal form of the great demon fox Kyubi; before him lay the visibly battered form of Naruto.

"How is this possible?" the ANBU Captain asked as they appeared at Naruto's side.

"Orochimaru summoned the fox somehow," Naruto said.

"But that is impossible," The ANBU repeated. "How could he break the Fourth's seal?"

"The seal is not broken," Naruto replied. "The fox may be an apparition that we cannot fully understand, but fundamentally he is chakra and chakra can be summoned."

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked as she saw the oozing wound in Naruto's chest.

"The snake summoned the fox before I had finished healing," Naruto explained. Sakura placed her hand over the wound and began to heal him, but before she could barely begin she doubled over in pain. A large black spine erupted from her forearm and the ANBU that had been watching them grimaced with revolted shock.

"Don't," Naruto said sharply. He then continued on more softly. "Sakura-chan, remember what I told you. You can't push yourself like that when you're in this state."

"I can," Sakura retorted. "One last time…"

"Please," Naruto said simply. Sakura stood, her back turned to Naruto as he too regained his feet.

"Haruno-sama, what do you want us to do?" the ANBU Captain asked.

"Fall back," Sakura said. "This is a burden that none of us can help him bear. I must recover while I still can and you four would only be a liability in this fight."

"But Haruno-sama, the demon fox, even the Fourth couldn't defeat it," the ANBU Captain argued.

"Then watch closely," Sakura said as she hopped away back into the tree line. She took out several pills and consumed them before using a kunai to roughly cut away the black spine growing from her forearm. The ANBU team appeared next to her and together they looked out into the clearing where Naruto stood alone, the wind from Kyubi's heat washing over him. "Naruto is the man who will surpass what it means to be Hokage."

To be continued…

* * *

AN: Next time; Naruto's battle against Orochimaru concludes…

Thank you for reading and reviewing.


	11. Naruto vs Kyuubi

Chapter 11 – Naruto vs. Kyuubi

Naruto looked across the smoke filled clearing for Orochimaru, finally laying eyes on him where he sat in a meditative state still within the seal that he had created to summon Kyuubi. His body appeared to be entirely encased within the demon fox's burning red chakra and indeed there was a thin tendril connecting him with the manifestation of the fox's form. Whether it was merely a side effect or an intentional design Naruto didn't know, but what was clear was that Orochimaru had put himself behind a barrier that Naruto had little chance of breaking so long as his tenant was standing between them.

Naruto's ninja intuition arrested his attention and drew it back to the immediate situation as the Kyuubi breathed forth a plume of demonic fire from its nostrils as an opening salvo. With little effort a swipe of Naruto's hand reflected the great mass of flame off harmlessly into the distance.

"Kyuubi, have you lost your senses?" Naruto shouted out. "Your fate is still tied to my own."

"I cannot resist the unnatural pull of this chakra," Kyuubi growled as he surged forward. "Not even for my own life!"

Naruto appraised the monstrous beast for a moment as he evaluated his situation. He no longer had access to the Kyuubi's chakra. The incomplete repair of his wound was a testament to that. Furthermore he feared that in order to defeat the beast and draw Orochimaru back out he would have to deplete Kyuubi's chakra. That meant that even when he won all he would succeed in doing is wiping out one huge portion of his chakra to defeat another huge portion of it. Defeating the Kyuubi wouldn't do him any good unless he was prepared to defeat Orochimaru immediately thereafter. Still, as these thoughts raced in his head, he needed to do something to halt the Kyuubi before he died on the spot. Naruto bit down hard on his thumb and summoned forth such an immense amount of chakra that the long coat Sakura had given him bellowed out as if in a violent wind.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu," Naruto said forcefully. The Kyuubi halted his charge and circled warily as the smoke cleared to reveal the legendary Gamabunta. The great leader of the toads sat calmly, smoking his pipe, and surveyed the situation he had been brought out into.

"Naruto-dono," Gamabunta rumbled. "This is quite a nostalgic feeling in more ways than one…"

"I need your help Gamabunta-dono," Naruto said from his perch on the massive toad's head.

"That I can see," Gamabunta said. "But you realize that there is only one thing I can do for you, right?"

"I know," Naruto said. "That is all I need."

Gamabunta didn't say anything further. Instead he flexed his powerful hind legs and propelled himself into the air far above the inferno that poured out from between Kyuubi's bared fangs.

"Toad Water Bullet," Gamabunta said as he pressed into his stomach and fired off a series of huge water pellets that were embedded with great amounts of molded chakra. The Kyuubi spat out a series of molten fireballs that matched Gamabunta's water attack shot for shot.

"Stay down," Sakura said sharply as one of the ANBU screamed out in pain when he took a blast of chakra embedded steam. She immediately began healing his injuries and contemplated whether she should move them back further in order to prevent taking even more accidental damage.

The sun had quickly been blotted out by the thick cloud of water vapor as the fight between the toad and the fox created a miniature climate change. The steam had deposited so much moisture into the air that everything and everyone was soaked through like they'd just emerged from a hot spring.

Gamabunta looked down as he began to descend back to the distant ground and realized that the Kyuubi was gauging where he would land. If he didn't do something the demon would be waiting to shred him as soon as he touched down. Gamabunta inhaled deeply, his figure swelling visibly, and exhaled at the last possible moment. Trees bent and then collapsed under the pressure of the winds that propelled the massive toad away from his previous trajectory. The Kyuubi, however, seemed to have anticipated such a move because it lost no time in charging Gamabunta.

There was a flash and the sound of steel being drawn an instant before burning claws collided with Gamabunta's blade. Nine fiery tails whipped forward threatening to entangle, but Gamabunta nimbly evaded them as they slashed out at him. Unfortunately, the tails persisted and as a result the bulky toad had no choice but to give up ground in order to stay one step ahead of them.

"Naruto-dono," Gamabunta said, his voice heavy with exertion as he held his blade close to use as a shield against Kyuubi's attacks. Naruto looked up from where he had been sitting in concentration and quickly put his hands together. He shouted something incomprehensible and spat out two small blue globes that homed in on the two closest tails, rending them asunder. Kyuubi screamed in pain as two of its prized appendages disappeared into ash when their supply of chakra was cut off.

"I need more time," Naruto said.

"You must hurry," Gamabunta replied. Already the two sundered tails were beginning to grow back. "I cannot stay in this world much longer."

Gamabunta settled back on his hind legs when Naruto didn't reply and raised his blade above his head. He wasn't sure what the blonde was doing, but he knew that if he didn't hold off the Kyuubi a bit longer it would all be over. He just hoped that Naruto wasn't going to do something as drastic to stop the Kyuubi as his father had done.

Kyuubi's tails whipped forward, but instead of dodging Gamabunta blocked them by shooting his tongue out rapidly. Kyuubi actually flinched back from Gamabunta's lashing tongue as it blurred with speed. Each hit delivered a brace of metal balls molded with chakra and backed by tremendous force. Kyuubi's tails spun rapidly, twisting together around each other before swinging around to catch Gamabunta with a heavy blow to his side. The great toad could feel the burning red chakra eating away at his very being in the split second it took him to disengage.

Kyuubi let forth a fierce screaming howl that was actually a blast of air fortified with his red chakra. Gamabunta turned into the dome like pulse of destructive energy as it ripped across the ground and took the force of the blow with his body so that Naruto escaped without being disturbed. He could feel his arm losing strength and hurled his blade into the center of Kyuubi's body where it lodged itself in the molten chakra. Though he could not form seals Gamabunta had one final technique that he could perform with the help of that blade. From his last reserves of chakra the blade of his hand conducted his energies into the Kyuubi, forcing open a large gap in the body of the demon.

"Thank you, old friend," Naruto said quietly as he stood up on Gamabunta's head.

"Naruto…this cannot happen again," Gamabunta said heavily.

"I know," Naruto replied. "Leave this to me now."

Gamabunta felt the last of his power drain away and retained just enough to stay in order to allow Naruto to finish his technique without interruption.

"Forbidden Binding: Arbiter of Counted Time," Naruto intoned, the strain evident in his voice, as he released complexly molded chakra. For a heartbeat nothing happened before the ground trembled and a massive skeletal paw burst through the earth in front of the Kyuubi. The demon fox involuntarily took a step back as a monkey skeleton drug itself up from the depths of the earth. It was clear, however, that this was no ordinary kind of summoning technique.

"Heh," Gamabunta grunted. "I'm glad you're not wasting your position Naruto-dono."

"I wanted to justify your effort," Naruto replied, grinning cheekily with a bit of pride at his accomplishment. He leaped smoothly from Gamabunta's head to the bleached white monkey skull that was the head of his newest creature. Kyuubi growled warily and backed off slightly from the towering bones before him as the skeletal monkey brandished a large weapon that resembled a scythe, but was made entirely from bone. A black blindfold covered empty eye sockets.

"Haruno-sama, what is this technique?" the ANBU Captain asked.

"You should be familiar with the forbidden seal that the Fourth used to defeat the Kyuubi," Sakura replied.

"This is a sealing technique?" the man asked incredulously.

"The Fourth's technique involved the aid of the Shinigami," Sakura explained. "Specifically, the Death God who rules over human lives. This is the Shinigami of the demon world, the Keeper Ur."

"Shinigami of the demon world…"

"Don't look so surprised," Sakura said tartly. "It took Naruto-kun a thousand years of work to create this technique! It is something that only he can use."

The ANBU Captain finally began to understand just what it was he was seeing. Among the high ranking ninja in Konoha most were aware of Naruto's unique method of training using the shadow clone technique. If this indeed took Naruto a thousand years to complete then he must have worked on it for a long time even by normal standards.

The Kyuubi swished its tails as flame erupted from between its jaws in a massive ball of destruction. Naruto's hands flashed through seals while Ur dispatched the fireball with its scythe. The surrounding forest instantly combusted under the intense heat from the remnants of the Kyuubi's attack that rained down on the surroundings. Naruto looked out with some anxiety as he prepared for the next phase of his strategy. He was painfully aware of the tradeoff that he had made in using his technique at less than its fullest potential, but he knew that it was a gamble that he had to take in order for victory to be possible.

"Protect Haruno-sama," the ANBU Captain yelled as a wave of fire bore down on their position.

"Stay back," Sakura said. She reared up from her position and punched straight down with all her strength. There was a concussive reaction followed by a shockwave that broke through the fire, smothering it.

"Stay close to me," Sakura instructed again as she scampered up to the top of the crater that her fist had just dug into the landscape. "This earth bank should provide us enough cover now."

"Stupid fox," Naruto shouted with frustration, "You kept too many secrets."

The Kyuubi's body seemed to waver in an intense haze of fire such that it melted into the still burning landscape. A large serpent made of scorched earth had coiled up around Ur at Naruto's direction to fend off a frenzy of flaming claw strikes as Kyuubi's deadly paw materialized out of nearby fires randomly. Ur, its expression dull and puppet like, steadily jabbed the end of its scythe into the fire over and over again as if trying to pin down something hidden. Its actions were justified when a patch of fire screamed out as the bony weapon twisted into it. Kyuubi reappeared; its hind leg caught, and lashed out wrathfully at the ghastly specter that had been brought against it.

"Seal," Naruto said. He made a final seal and the ribcage of Ur opened up. The burning chakra of the howling Kyuubi was forcefully pulled into the opening until it lost its shape and became a large mass within the great skeletal specter. As the last wisps of chakra were pulled away from the bubble surrounding Orochimaru, Ur's ribcage swung shut, locking all of Kyuubi's chakra inside. With that the earth trembled as Ur began to slowly sink back into the earth from whence it came.

"Intriguing," Orochimaru said as he emerged from where he had been maintaining his now dispelled technique. "But I wonder how you intend to continue?"

Naruto had landed on the ground; his posture slumped, as he squinted through bloody tears to watch the cagey snake master approaching him casually. It had indeed taken a large part of his own chakra to destroy another large part embodied by the Kyuubi and as such he no longer had any strength within himself to use a technique of significance. Naruto wearily pulled himself together and assumed a basic stance, his lithe body rigid, in a technique that only a few recognized and even fewer acknowledged.

"The Second Shinobi Path?" Orochimaru said incredulously. He snapped his hands together and summoned a coiling snake of earth that twisted across the ground toward Naruto, threatening to bury him beneath many tons of rock.

"Haruno-sama!" the ANBU Captain exclaimed.

Sakura's eyes never left Naruto, nor did her expression change, as the technique descended. There was a flicker of movement and a burst of soil as the technique exploded from a single blow of Naruto's fist.

"What is that strength?" another ANBU murmured.

"It isn't strength," Sakura said conversationally. "It is a technique of sorts…one of the forbidden arts. A variant of it is still practiced in Konoha, though it is nearly forgotten since it does not require the use of chakra in the same way as other shinobi talents."

"The Second Shinobi Path," the ANBU Captain echoed. "It is a discredited technique. In order to use it one must have no chakra, either naturally, or as a result of being near death. It drains the vitality of the user."

"Yes," Sakura said.

Naruto shimmered away under great speed and appeared next to Orochimaru where they exchanged blows fitfully, unwillingly. Naruto swept low, his leg passing beneath Orochimaru, and then followed up with a jab that nearly bashed his body into two pieces. However, before he could follow up Orochimaru had escaped, his body flowing fluidly from its old skin. Naruto tried to deliver an attack to his still forming body, but this time Orochimaru blocked it.

With a gruesomely exaggerated licking of his lips Orochimaru counterattacked. His pale face twisted with an insidious delight as he methodically decompiled Naruto's defenses. He slapped aside Naruto's forearm, shortening the distance between them. Naruto stumbled back as Orochimaru pressed forward with each assault. Then abruptly there was a sharp crack as Naruto caught one of Orochimaru's arms between his own and snapped it in half.

"Bothersome," Orochimaru said. He sprang back and let the limb hang loosely for a moment as it realigned itself with a great deal of scraping of bone. Though he didn't utter it out loud the evil sannin knew that his body's natural decay was accelerating from all the damage he was taking.

Orochimaru clapped his hands together and formed more seals before leaping at Naruto once more. Naruto, who had been slouching again, snapped back into position to parry the expert thrusts of Orochimaru's fists. Orochimaru dropped down low and forced Naruto to jump in order to dodge a sweeping attack. At that moment he made a final seal and the air was filled with tiny projectiles. He attempted to swat them aside, but unlike large techniques filled with precisely molded chakra that could be disrupted by precision strikes; these small projectiles were merely propelled by chakra and otherwise were merely bits of rock excised from the ground.

Orochimaru closed in on Naruto's pinned down and pierced through form, triumph glimmering in his eyes. His killing blow never descended. Instead Orochimaru felt an unfamiliar pain as Naruto's hand plunged into his body.

"W-What," Orochimaru gurgled.

"I know you're in there somewhere," Naruto said. His arm was nearly shoulder deep inside Orochimaru's torso as he groped for the actual substance of the snake inside the skin.

"My body," Orochimaru gasped. His neck extended and coiled around Naruto's body, squeezing it. "So deficient…perhaps its time I selected a new form."

"Abomination," Naruto choked out. He twisted his hand roughly and saw with satisfaction that he was inflicting pain on Orochimaru.

"Normally the Kyuubi's chakra would reject the transfer, but now…" Orochimaru said darkly.

Orochimaru's body split open, his form becoming even more snake-like, as he coiled around Naruto like a constrictor. With a maniacal cackle he plunged head first into Naruto, attempting to inhabit his body.

"Fool," Naruto said as he grabbed Orochimaru. "I'm not so weakened that you can trespass however you wish!"

Whether it was hubris or desperation Orochimaru paid no attention to Naruto's words. He had in the past selected a host by having shinobi fight until only one remained alive. That strongest shinobi, weakened by combat, was then dominated by Orochimaru's will. Without a seal there was more risk, but this was not a game of chance to Orochimaru, but rather of power.

"Become my new tool, Naruto-kun," Orochimaru's voice reverberated through the air around them as they sat locked together in combat.

Naruto exerted the last of his strength to pull Orochimaru out of himself as his other hand formed a final seal of a technique already set in motion. The ground cracked open behind Orochimaru and a now tiny version of the Keeper Ur emerged from the hole. It plunged its scythe into Orochimaru's back and disgorged a tremendous burst of the Kyuubi's chakra that it had captured into the snake's body.

Orochimaru screamed incoherently and reared up. His coils loosened and thrashed wildly as the burning demonic chakra invaded his system. Unlike Naruto, who was protected by a seal and the legacy of his youth, Orochimaru had no tolerance for the toxic power of the Kyuubi and in his weakness no strength to manage its effects. With a last wail of torment Orochimaru immolated from the inside out and fell to ashes.

"Go," Sakura commanded. She and her ANBU escort instantly teleported to Naruto's side.

"Heh," Naruto said as Sakura began pulling the foreign objects out that had lodged in his body.

"The traitor, Orochimaru, is he dead?" one of the ANBU asked anxiously.

"A skill like Orochimaru's is still largely unknown to us," Sakura said. Naruto winced as she applied chemical treatments to his wounds directly. She had not yet recovered enough to use her medical techniques, but her skills and equipment was nonetheless formidable. "The limits of an ability to transfer consciousness…"

"He is dead," Naruto said. "I felt his presence disappear and even for a ninja with his skill such a deception would have been nearly impossible in that situation."

"It's a pity that there is no body for recovery," Sakura said. She would truly have liked to study Orochimaru's many secrets.

She continued working for a few more minutes until Naruto finally made a move to stand on his own. Sakura had to steady him for a moment, but her treatments seemed to have been successful in restoring a superficial sense of vitality.

"Wait, with respect, neither of you should be moving," an ANBU said when he saw that the two sanin intended to head out.

"It cannot be helped," Naruto said. "What has happened cannot have gone unnoticed. We can't risk the appearance of weakness now."

"Besides, the faster we start back the sooner we can meet up with the second line of reinforcements coming from Konoha," Sakura said. "They need to redeploy at once."

"Sir," the ANBU Captain said sharply. He turned to his underlings once the pair was out of earshot. "Spread out in a defensive screen around them; every one of our lives before there's."

"Sir," the other ANBU replied enthusiastically. Something important would happen now. They could all feel it.

* * *

AN: Reviews appreciated, as always.


	12. Transition

Chapter 12 – Transition

The heavy sound of metal scraping against metal filled the cavernous room and a square of white light pierced into the dimly lit interior of the large circular room where a single slumped figure was seated. Guards snapped crisp salutes as a tall, trench coat clad individual stepped briskly across the room to where the prisoner was being held.

"Commander Ibiki," the ANBU guard acknowledged as the scar faced man looked down with contempt at their prisoner.

"Wake him," Ibiki commanded. The ANBU made a gesture and a second guard stepped forward with a syringe to administer an injection. A moment later the prisoner began to gurgle and stir.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Ibiki said. His voice was flat and unfeeling.

"Morino Ibiki," Sasuke said in the same tone. Ibiki's eyes flickered with annoyance. Sasuke's eyes were still covered by special chakra repressing paper stamped with powerful seals created by the sannin. He hadn't realized that the Uchiha would remember his voice so easily.

"It looks as if you and I will be getting to know each other very well for the next few weeks," Ibiki said. "We're going to go over every single day you've spent outside Konoha. I want to know where you've been, who you've met, everything down to the last insignificant detail. If Orochimaru liked drinking plum sake or taking long walks in the moonlight I want to know about it down to the last detail."

Sasuke twitched, his arms flexing against the restraints that held him strapped in the chair as he shifted into a more comfortable position before relaxing limply. His body still ached down to his very bones and the bloodline limit that had become a part of his daily life was agonizingly out of his reach. He said nothing.

Ibiki stood unmoving and regarded his prisoner in silence when he determined that the young ninja wasn't going to talk. After he calculated that enough time had passed he gestured to one of his assistants. The man approached, molding chakra for the first technique to be applied to begin the torture. Even the most hardened individual could be broken, especially if their nerves were treated for enhanced sensibility.

"Stop," Naruto said before the assistant could finish the seals. Ibiki didn't turn around or flinch even though he had not sensed Naruto entering the supposedly solid room, nor heard the door open.

"Leave us," Sakura added. "We will interview the prisoner for now."

At this Ibiki turned to see the two sannin walking leisurely toward him as if they had passed through the solid steel door like it wasn't even there. Ibiki scrutinized the two, noting Sakura's black and pink uniform that still largely mirrored the uniform of her youth and Naruto's long flowing overcoat that resembled his father's. He looked on curiously, however, at the ancient sword that rode on Naruto's back. Orochimaru's traitorous blade…

"I have orders from the Hokage herself," Ibiki replied. "The prisoner is to be interrogated immediately."

"Baa-chan will understand this one time," Naruto said. Naruto seriously doubted that there were any orders from Tsunade. The bureaucracy of Konoha's military apparatus took many actions in the Hokage's name before those in the highest levels of command could issue orders. This had a distinct advantage during the heat of war when low level initiative could mean the difference between victory and defeat, but it also meant that sometimes more aggressive individuals took things into their own hands.

Ibiki stared at him for a moment, exchanging steady gazes with the blonde ninja until finally he signaled his men with a jerk of his hand. His authority might technically outrank a sannin's authority as long as they were on his turf in Konoha, but this was Naruto's personal crusade and Ibiki had too much respect for the blonde to get in his way over this matter.

"Naruto-sama," Ibiki acknowledged as he followed his men in exiting the room. "You have thirty minutes."

The door clanged shut and a deep silence enveloped the room as three long parted teammates looked at each other expressionlessly.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura said emotionally. She launched herself into a furious hug of the wayward Uchiha.

"Teme," Naruto said roughly, grinning widely as he stepped beside Sasuke's chair and gave him a friendly whack on the back of the head.

"Get off me," Sasuke said indigently. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Is that all you've got to say to us after all these years?" Naruto asked.

"You're finally free Sasuke," Sakura said happily.

Sasuke turned his face away from his old friends bitterly. His mind had cleared somewhat from the altering influence of the seal, but that had not brought him any comfort. Orochimaru and his manipulations were a disgrace.

"Is this what you call free?" Sasuke retorted, indicating his bonds. "My life has failed. I can never avenge my family; I have no home, and nothing to look forward to except torture and scorn."

"Baka," Naruto said softly. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

"I meant what I said to you back then," Sakura said as she released Sasuke from her embrace. "We're here for you. You can start over again, if you want to. No one will blame you for what happened while you were under the influence of the seal."

"Please Sasuke, let us help you this time," Naruto said, affirming Sakura's words. "We're going to see the Hokage now. We'll have you out of the bingo book and reinstated in no time."

"What do I care?" Sasuke replied coarsely. "Why are you doing this?"

"It's because we care about you," Sakura said gently.

"I didn't ask for this," Sasuke said as they turned to walk away. "I didn't ask for anything!"

"Just promise me that you'll cooperate with Ibiki," Naruto said as he and Sakura neared the door.

Sasuke didn't say anything, nor could he see as his two old teammates regarded him sadly.

"Your time isn't up," Ibiki said flatly as they left the interrogation chamber. The badly scarred man had been leaning against the wall outside the door.

"No torture or techniques," Naruto ordered. "Sasuke will tell you everything you want to know. You have my guarantee."

Sasuke had no reason to protect Orochimaru's confidences. The influence of the seal was gone and the snake himself was dead. Naruto only hoped that Sasuke's pride wouldn't keep him from cooperating.

"As you wish, Naruto-sama," Ibiki replied. There was a flicker of motion and the young couple vanished away under the influence of a teleportation technique.

A few moments later they appeared a short distance away, electing to jump from roof to roof toward the central government building where the Hokage's office was located. It was still very early in the morning so many of the civilian activities were just beginning to start up for the day.

"Shall we go on up?" Sakura asked. Naruto looked at her curiously since she usually berated him for not using doors.

"Sure, Sakura-chan," Naruto replied.

"Don't do that, I'll get it for you Tsunade-sama," Shizune said, her voice the first thing Naruto and Sakura heard as they looked in on the scene of chaos. Jiraiya and Tsunade, both still sporting bandages, were apparently searching through a mountain of paperwork.

"Baa-chan, we need to talk," Naruto said.

"Yes, we do," Tsunade replied.

"Sakura and I just came from Sasuke's detention cell," Naruto began, but Tsunade cut him off.

"You can deal with that later," Tsunade said. "More importantly we're conducting a new census of Konoha's military and economic assets."

Sakura's eyes widened slightly at that and she looked over toward Naruto quickly.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Naruto asked.

"It means I finally get to retire," Jiraiya said. The white haired ninja had become somewhat physically diminished following the attack by Sasuke and Orochimaru. Any ninja could tell that Jiraiya, while still formidable, was not finished recovering from his injuries.

"Sasuke's attack showed me the limits of our age," Tsunade said sadly. "Even though I look like this I'm afraid that my techniques have taken their toll on my vitality. Ten years ago there is no way Sasuke would have surprised either of us, but as it was we nearly died."

"Don't be so dramatic Baa-chan," Naruto said. "You just need to drink less."

"A good Hokage knows when to make changes and carry out important duties," Tsunade said. "That's why I'm performing my final duty as Hokage and announcing my successor."

"Your…successor?" Naruto asked, shocked.

"I'm going to choose you, Naruto," Tsunade said quietly. It was the Hokage's sole discretion to select a successor, not that there was hardly anyone left who would disapprove of Tsunade's choice.

"Congratulations Naruto," Sakura whispered as the blonde sat down. Sakura could see the mixed emotions flowing through him as he absorbed something that he had to have known was coming, at least subconsciously.

"I've already informed the bureaucracy," Tsunade continued. "There will be a transition period beginning immediately. The annual budgetary review is going to be coming up before too long and you'll want to start setting guidelines aggressively."

"I guess after all this time I should be happy; excited even," Naruto said. "But I've still got too many things to do in the field to start keeping books."

"Those things are important," Jiraiya said.

"I know that," Naruto said sharply.

"Tsunade, you just said that a good Hokage knows when to make changes and carry out important duties," Sakura said. "Naruto and I have things that need to be finished."

"I can't divide my time just yet," Naruto said. "And Konoha's internal affairs need full time attention."

"Fine," Tsunade grumbled. She had been looking forward to stepping aside. "I won't retire after you take office."

Konoha had a long history of having two Hokage's in office at the same time, so why should now be any different? The Third had stayed on in the background after the Fourth, Naruto's father, had assumed office.

"Thank you, Tsunade-san," Naruto said. Tsunade's eyes narrowed as they focused on him with intensity.

"You're welcome," she said after a moment.

"If you two are finished, there's still a lot of stuff here to review," Jiraiya said peevishly.

Naruto nodded and sat down as the old hermit handed him a file. Sakura took a seat beside him and together the old leadership began the process of passing on the future to their successors.

"Iruka-sensei, why are we up here today?" a young academy student asked him.

"Today a very special ceremony is due to occur," Iruka said. "The new Hokage is going to be acknowledged by Tsunade-sama."

Iruka's students all began to murmur and stir at such an exciting event. None of them were old enough to have ever seen a new Hokage enter office.

"But Iruka-sensei, why is there a new Hokage?" another student asked. "Is Tsunade-sama okay? No one said there was going to be a new Hokage."

"Tsunade-sama is fine," Iruka said quickly. "And no one announced that there was to be a new Hokage because it would be bad if other villages found out. When a new Hokage ascends there is always some confusion, which as you all know can be dangerous to a ninja village like Konoha. Secrecy is important to prevent assassination attempts or even invasions designed to exploit the transition period."

"Will we get to see the new Hokage?" A voice asked.

"Who is the new Hokage?" another asked.

"Patience, patience," Iruka said. "You will all get to see the new Hokage. In fact, part of the reason we're up here early is that I wanted you all to meet him yourselves."

"We get to meet him?" A chorus of voices asked.

"Yes," Iruka said proudly. "You see, the new Hokage was once a student of mine just like all of you."

"Really?"

"Amazing!"

"When will he get here?"

"He's already here," Iruka said. His students looked behind them to where he gestured and were startled to see a tall figure wearing the Hokage's robes standing there.

"You're as sharp as ever Iruka-sensei," Naruto said. He moved to greet Iruka, somehow gliding through the throng of students without disturbing any of them.

"Thank you for coming my friend," Iruka said.

"Of course," Naruto replied. He turned to the assembled students. Some of them were whispering with excitement that Naruto was the new Hokage. "Your sensei asked me to come today. I hope you are all studying hard under his guidance and appreciating his teachings."

"Yes Naruto-sama," everyone sang out. Naruto couldn't help but flash a grin toward Iruka, who also appeared to be quite amused by Naruto encouraging others to be good students.

"But more importantly, I wanted to talk to you all about Konoha," Naruto said. "There are many people in the world that see a ninja village as a military organization or band of mercenaries. Some even see us as nothing but tools for the benefit of others. This is a philosophy that Konoha has always rejected."

"Naruto-sama," a small boy said hesitantly. "But ninjas fight wars and take missions for money."

"Yes, we do," Naruto acknowledged. He turned away from the assembled children, his face hidden by the distinct headpiece of the Hokage. "Even if we often try to take work guarding property and policing bandits the world is a dangerous place. Sometimes we're forced to carry out assassinations or even fight against other nations. However, that doesn't define us as nothing more than a band of soldiers for hire. We define ourselves by our relationships with each other. You see, Konoha isn't just a group of people, a village, or a military force, but instead it is an important family."

"Like my nee-san?" the same boy asked.

"Yes, like your nee-san," Naruto said. He turned back around to face them all again, his robes shifting gently in the morning breeze. "Konoha defines itself by a philosophy not found in much of the rest of the world. We respect individuals and refuse to restrain their lives. Everyone can live as they please so long as they don't harm their fellow citizen. We value the life of every person, no matter who they are. There are some villages that believe in strength above all else. They force young ninjas like all of you to fight to the death against each other as a part of their training."

Many of the students looked shocked while others had apparently already learned of these sorts of practices.

"But those villages are mistaken," Naruto continued. "True strength doesn't come from death, but from life. Ninja in Konoha are the strongest in the world because they fight to protect those people who are most important to them. A Konoha ninja knows that the safety and freedom of the entire village depends on him at all times. Knowing that their efforts will protect those who are special to them gives them the strength to persevere even when things are difficult."

Iruka looked away from Naruto, his stomach twisting slightly as he remembered a very similar speech that he had once heard many years ago. At that moment, to him, it was as if he was once again listening to the Third Hokage.

"All of you have someone important, I know," Naruto said. "And if you think to yourself what you would do if that important person were in danger you'll begin to understand what it means to be a ninja of Konoha."

"I'd do anything to protect nee-san," the boy said.

"Do you have an important person Naruto-sama?" a girl asked. Iruka had somehow known that question would be asked and what its answer would be.

"Yes, I do," Naruto said. "To me, everyone in Konoha is an important person."

The class seemed to collectively murmur at that, but no one said anything.

"That's why I wanted to become Hokage to protect everyone," Naruto said. "As I look at all of you I can see the potential for Konoha's future and I know that all of you will grow up to be strong ninja. You too will inherit the Will of Fire that has been passed down from generation to generation and one day protect your own important family. As long as you remember these things Konoha will always be this world's shining light."

"We won't forget Naruto-sama," several voices promised.

"I know you won't," Naruto said, smiling broadly at them. "I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but it wouldn't do for me to keep everyone waiting."

"Thanks Naruto." Iruka said. "I hope you'll visit our class again soon."

"I'd love to," Naruto said.

With a slight puff he disappeared. Iruka joined his students as everyone reverently looked toward the top of the central building in Konoha where Naruto emerged a few minutes later flanked by Tsunade and Sakura. From all across the village hundreds of ninja and thousands of citizens began to gather as the word went out that the ceremony was starting. There, among the watchful eyes of the Hidden Leaf, Tsunade officially ushered in the Sixth Hokage Uzumaki Naruto.


End file.
